Palantir hires former Labour deputy leader Tom Watson in UK

Palantir Technologies has hired former Labour deputy leader Tom Watson as its UK senior vice president, the company announced on Friday, September 18, 2026. Watson, who has served as an adviser to the software developer since 2024, will lead initiatives to ensure that public contracts support British jobs across the country.

The United Kingdom represents Palantir's second-largest market after the United States. In 2023, the company secured a flagship £330 million ($441 million) contract for the National Health Service (NHS), alongside a prominent agreement with the British defense ministry and software deals with multiple police forces.

The company faces rising political pushback in Britain over its data-mining operations, ties to Israel, and proximity to US President Donald Trump. In June, British parliamentarians urged the government to trigger a break clause to terminate the NHS contract by year-end in favor of a domestic alternative, citing tech sovereignty concerns and past statements by co-founder Peter Thiel. Prime Minister Andy Burnham, who took leadership of the Labour party in July, has not announced whether he will end the deal.

Palantir has encountered other recent setbacks in the country. Earlier this year, the mayor of London canceled a police contract with Palantir over alleged procurement rule breaches, which prompted a lawsuit from the company. Watson left the House of Commons in 2019 and took a leave of absence from his seat in the House of Lords in March before taking the executive role.