Ex-Labour deputy leader Tom Watson joins tech firm Palantir
Former UK cabinet minister and Labour deputy leader Lord Tom Watson has taken on a senior vice president role at US tech firm Palantir, sparking scrutiny.
Stock photo for illustration only, not from the actual event
- Former UK Labour deputy leader Lord Tom Watson joins Palantir as senior vice president
- Lord Watson stated on X that Palantir is the most interesting company on the planet
- Green MP Sian Berry criticized the move as an example of a corrosive political revolving door
- Palantir holds numerous UK government contracts including agreements with the NHS and police
Former cabinet minister and Labour Party deputy leader Lord Tom Watson has been appointed as a senior vice president at the US technology firm Palantir. The appointment was announced on September 18, 2026, through the X platform, where Lord Watson described the company as the most interesting organization globally, engaging in work of genuine consequence.
Lord Watson, who is currently on a leave of absence from the House of Lords to recuperate from cancer treatment, gave up his parliamentary pass and his contact prevents him from returning as an active peer while employed by the firm. Louis Mosley, head of UK and Europe at Palantir Technologies, welcomed the appointment by highlighting Lord Watson's deep understanding of how artificial intelligence transforms public support services in Britain, where more than one in six Palantir employees are based.
"This is yet another example of the corrosive revolving door between politics and big business lobbying that has no place in public life."
Sian Berry
However, the appointment has drawn sharp criticism from political figures such as Green MP Sian Berry, who labeled the hiring as a continuation of a corrosive revolving door between political circles and corporate lobbying. Berry argued that Palantir, given its previous contracts with US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), should not operate within the UK National Health Service and public services, accusing the former Labour minister of being hired to lobby his political allies in the government.
The transition of a prominent former government-allied politician into a senior corporate role at a major data analytics firm managing sensitive public sector contracts naturally triggers intense public debate. Palantir's heavy involvement in UK healthcare and law enforcement infrastructure places its corporate governance and hiring practices under constant observation by lawmakers and independent watchdogs concerned with transparency and potential conflicts of interest.
Stock photo for illustration only, not from the actual event
Palantir specializes in building software that helps large organizations optimize data utilization, holding extensive contracts across UK public bodies including the NHS, the Ministry of Defence, and 11 police forces. Although the firm faces ongoing scrutiny from lawmakers regarding data privacy within NHS contracts and an active legal dispute with the Mayor of London's office over a Metropolitan Police contract, the company maintains that its technology significantly improves hospital waiting list management, medical supply distribution, and assists law enforcement in tackling corruption and domestic abuse.
Source: BBC Politics
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