Campaigners Intensify Calls for Full Disclosure on Mandelson's Palantir Involvement
The fair technology advocacy group Foxglove has spearheaded urgent demands for the Cabinet Office to release comprehensive information regarding Peter Mandelson's involvement in negotiating contracts with the controversial US tech firm Palantir. This push for transparency comes amidst growing concerns that the former Labour peer may have leaked more sensitive government information than previously disclosed in his communications with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
Palantir's Substantial UK Government Contracts Under Scrutiny
Palantir, a $300 billion startup that provides military technology to the Israel Defense Forces and AI-powered deportation targeting systems for Donald Trump's Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) units, currently holds UK government contracts valued at over £500 million. The company's connections to Mandelson extend through Global Counsel, a lobbying firm he co-founded and partially owns, which also represents Palantir's interests.
Campaigners are particularly concerned about Mandelson's potential role in facilitating high-level access between UK officials and Palantir executives. Cabinet Secretary Sir Chris Wormald faces mounting pressure to disclose details about Mandelson's involvement when the British embassy arranged for Keir Starmer to visit Palantir's Washington DC showroom in February 2025, shortly after Mandelson assumed his position as ambassador to the United States.
Undisclosed Meetings and Direct Contract Awards Raise Questions
During that Washington visit, Mandelson and Starmer met with Palantir's chief executive Alex Karp and were shown the company's advanced military technology. This meeting notably did not appear in the prime minister's official register of visits and was only acknowledged through subsequent disclosures. Seven months later, Karp signed a strategic partnership with UK Defence Secretary John Healey, followed by a £241 million three-year contract awarded directly to Palantir by the Ministry of Defence in January to "boost military AI and innovation."
Conservative MP Alex Burghart, who serves as shadow chancellor of the duchy of Lancaster, has joined calls for transparency, urging Wormald to review Palantir's latest MoD contract "given the allegations now coming to light about Mandelson's conduct." Burghart emphasized that Palantir's MoD contract "was granted by direct award" without competitive tender and requested the cabinet secretary investigate whether similar undisclosed meetings or non-competitive contracts exist elsewhere.
Broader Concerns About Information Security and Ethical Standards
The transparency demands follow revelations that Mandelson apparently forwarded highly sensitive information to Jeffrey Epstein during his tenure as business secretary under Gordon Brown in 2009, including government responses to the global financial crisis. Epstein, who received a prison sentence for child sex offences in 2008, maintained contact with Mandelson despite his criminal conviction.
Donald Campbell, director of advocacy at Foxglove, articulated these concerns in a letter to Wormald: "In light of Lord Mandelson now facing investigation for allegedly leaking 'sensitive information' to Jeffrey Epstein, we believe it is important to examine whether similar behaviour took place elsewhere."
Political Reactions and Wider Implications for Public Trust
Former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn has called for an independent inquiry into what he described as "a gilded friendly web" around Mandelson "under which favours were done, contracts apparently awarded, this ghastly company Palantir trying to get hold of our National Health Service apparently at the behest of Mandelson and others."
Palantir's UK government contracts have generated significant controversy beyond the Mandelson connection. The British Medical Association recently announced that doctors might refuse to use Palantir's £340 million NHS federated data platform in protest over the company's role in facilitating ICE activities in the United States.
Chi Onwurah, chair of the science and technology committee, highlighted broader concerns: "We have raised questions about Palantir's public sector contracts, how and why they came about and whether the UK should be dependent on large, US-based providers. We will be publishing our findings shortly, but it is clear that the government should prioritise greater sovereign capability in emerging technologies, and review its dependence on these firms."
Ongoing Financial Connections and Calls for Comprehensive Disclosure
Although Mandelson resigned as director of Global Counsel in May 2024, Companies House records confirm he continues to retain shares in the consultancy firm. This ongoing financial connection further complicates assessments of potential conflicts of interest during his diplomatic tenure.
Campbell of Foxglove emphasized the fundamental importance of transparency: "We need the full picture on Mandelson's involvement. Anything else risks irreparable damage to public trust." The Cabinet Office, Ministry of Defence, and Mandelson's representatives have been approached for comment, while Palantir has declined to address the specific allegations regarding Mandelson's involvement in their UK contract negotiations.
