Palantir's foothold in the UK government is a concern for us all

In an op-ed for The Guardian, Peter Geoghegan, Founder and Editor of the investigative website Democracy for Sale, argues that the presumptive new prime minister, Andy Burnham, will face a critical early test about the government's various contracts with the controversial US tech company Palantir. This includes the £330 million contract for the NHS Federated Data Platform (FDP). Geoghegan writes that although supporters claim the platform is at the heart of NHS reform, his year-long investigation with Lucas Amin raises serious questions about its efficacy.

Internal usage data reveals that dozens of NHS trusts, officially listed as live on the FDP, have not logged into a single FDP app in the past year. Furthermore, the flagship Cancer 360 tool is used by only six out of approximately 200 trusts. Clinicians report the software is slow, difficult to use, and less effective than existing systems, with experts warning of vendor lock-in. 

Meanwhile, Geoghegan documents how Palantir's integration into the British state has been heavily aided by paid political lobbying. The company engaged the services of Global Counsel, a lobbying firm previously associated with the now-disgraced Peter Mandelson, for a monthly retainer exceeding £30,000. Due to the sensitive nature of the account, it was assigned an internal code name: Project Onion.

Geoghegan advises Burnham to exercise the break clause in the contract when the FDP comes up for renewal next year.

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