Mandelson links bring renewed scrutiny to UK ties with Israel-linked Palantir

Pressure is mounting in Westminster over Lord Mandelson's links to the US data analytics firm Palantir, as MPs and civil liberties groups call for greater transparency over the company's government contracts, including those related to national security, and its ties to Israel.

Speaking in the House of Commons on Wednesday, Conservative MP Alex Burghart questioned the government about the lack of clarity surrounding its relationship with Palantir, a US-based data analytics company that supplies software used by military and security agencies.

Burghart drew attention to Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer's visit to Palantir’s headquarters in Washington DC in February 2025, shortly after Mandelson was appointed UK ambassador to the United States.

Global Counsel, a lobbying firm co-founded by Mandelson, has publicly listed Palantir among its clients. Media reports have raised questions about whether the firm played any role in facilitating the prime minister’s visit, though no formal confirmation has been provided.

In Westminster, MPs from across the political spectrum have also queried why the meeting did not appear in the prime minister's register of official visits, prompting renewed calls for disclosure.

The scrutiny follows separate reporting about Mandelson’s past associations with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, including questions about correspondence and contacts during Mandelson’s time in government. Mandelson has previously said he regrets those associations.

In a letter sent on Wednesday to Cabinet Secretary Chris Wormald, Foxglove, a UK-based digital rights group, said it was "important to examine whether similar governance failures may have occurred elsewhere", calling for clarity rather than making specific allegations.

Palantir's reach inside the UK state

Palantir’s role within the UK public sector has expanded significantly in recent years.

Seven months after Starmer’s meeting with Palantir chief executive Alex Karp, the company was awarded a £240 million, three-year contract with the Ministry of Defence. Government statements have said the contract followed procurement rules, though critics have questioned the use of a direct award process rather than an open tender.

Publicly available information suggests Palantir has contracts across multiple government departments, with estimates placing their total value in the hundreds of millions of pounds. These include work linked to agencies involved in national security and defence.

"The scale of Palantir's involvement in UK government functions raises legitimate questions about transparency and accountability," Privacy International, a UK-based civil liberties organisation, said in a statement. “When public power is increasingly exercised through private companies, public oversight becomes more difficult.”

Beyond defence, Palantir also holds contracts with the NHS, including for its Federated Data Platform. The deal has faced opposition from doctors’ groups, including the British Medical Association, which has raised concerns about data governance and patient trust.

Green Party co-leader Zack Polanski questioned whether the government had done enough to reassure the public about the use of sensitive health data, calling for stronger safeguards and parliamentary scrutiny.

Palantir and Israel

Palantir's global operations, including its work with military and intelligence agencies, have attracted scrutiny internationally, particularly in relation to Israel.

In The Philosopher in the Valley, journalist Michael Steinberger notes that Palantir was founded in 2003 with early backing from US intelligence agencies and has since become a key supplier to governments in several countries, including Israel.

Media reporting has also highlighted previously released US Department of Justice materials showing Epstein discussing Palantir with former Israeli prime minister Ehud Barak in the early 2010s. Neither Palantir nor Israeli officials have suggested Epstein played any role in the company’s subsequent contracts.

Israel later signed contracts with Palantir and the company opened an office in Tel Aviv in 2015.

Human rights organisations and researchers have examined the use of advanced data analytics and targeting technologies by Israel’s military, particularly during its war on Gaza. Some groups have raised concerns about whether such technologies are being deployed in ways that comply with international humanitarian law.

Palantir has said it operates within the law and in accordance with contractual obligations.

The renewed focus on Mandelson’s association with Palantir reflects broader unease in Westminster about the growing influence of private technology firms within public decision making, particularly when those firms operate in sensitive geopolitical and security contexts.

As parliamentary scrutiny continues, MPs and campaigners are calling for clearer disclosure around meetings, procurement decisions and the safeguards governing the use of powerful data technologies by the state.