Overview
- The mayor vetoed the planned £50 million extension in late May after finding the Metropolitan Police had not presented a required procurement strategy and had only fully engaged one supplier.
- Palantir’s lawyers delivered a pre-action letter to the Mayor’s Office in early June notifying their intention to seek a court challenge and calling the decision politicised.
- Met commissioner Sir Mark Rowley says losing the deal removes projected efficiencies that would have covered about 500 roles and may compel cuts to services or staff as the force balances its budget.
- Critics point to Palantir’s work with foreign militaries and US immigration authorities as reasons for scrutiny, and the UK government is separately reviewing the company’s £330 million NHS contract.
- The next phase is likely legal and administrative, with potential judicial review of the veto and wider consequences for how large policing contracts are awarded and overseen.