Former Labour deputy Tom Watson joins Palantir as £330M NHS deal nears break point
US spy-tech firm insists its new UK senior vice president is there to 'build things, not to open doors'
Tom Watson, the former deputy leader of the Labour Party, has accepted a high-ranking position at Palantir, a US-based technology company. This move comes as the UK government evaluates the possibility of breaking a £330 million contract with Palantir for the National Health Service (NHS). As Palantir's UK senior vice president, Watson will collaborate with Louis Mosley, the executive vice president for the UK and Europe.
Watson's appointment highlights the tech company's strategy of attracting talent from British politics and public service to bolster its government business. Palantir CEO Alex Karp expressed his satisfaction at having Watson join the team, emphasizing the company's commitment to improving public services. Mosley, in turn, highlighted Watson's role in ensuring the company supports British jobs, invests in skills, and delivers effective services across the country.
Watson's decision to leave the House of Lords and surrender his parliamentary pass reflects his dedication to his new role at Palantir. The appointment also addresses concerns about the potential conflict of interest between government and technology companies. Zubir Ahmed, a junior minister at the Department of Health and Social Care, suggested that the government could terminate Palantir's seven-year contract when the break clause becomes available next spring.
However, replacing the platform provider at short notice might prove challenging, as the House of Commons Health and Social Care Committee suggested the Department of Health and Social Care should start preparing for a replacement before the contract reaches its break clause in February. Palantir has been working with the NHS since the pandemic, securing £60 million in contracts without competition, including those that contributed to the Federated Data Platform (FDP).
Both the NHS and Palantir claim that the subsequent competition was open and fair, and that the resulting platform has delivered significant value by integrating data sources to address the health service's elective care backlog.
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