THE “revolving door” between US tech firm Palantir and the British government raises serious questions about public contracts, campaigners warned today.

Dozens of experienced British public officials including the Ministry of Defence (MoD) and NHS’s AI chiefs have joined the controversial US tech firm Palantir since they left their government positions, a new investigation by the Nerve revealed.

At least 32 officials, former ministers, intelligence service chiefs and peers have taken up roles in the company which has been awarded £670 million in government contracts.

This included the former MoD senior official on AI, Laurence Lee, who also co-authored the military’s strategy document on the new technology.

Mr Lee has since become a senior adviser to Palantir CEO Alex Karp on “geostrategy.”

NHS England’s former director of AI, Indra Joshi, became Palantir’s director of health, research and AI in 2022 before leaving in 2024.

Four members of the House of Lords have also been on Palantir’s payroll, including the former chair of the select committee on science and technology.

On top of the previously reported relationship between the disgraced former US ambassador Peter Mandelson and Palantir, other peers who offered their expertise to the US tech firm include former Labour deputy leader Tom Watson and former special adviser to Gordon Brown, John Woodcock.

It was also reported that the former chair of the Commons science and technology select committee Nicola Blackwood consulted for the company through Mr Mandelson’s company Global Counsel.

Reporters also found that since 2021, Palantir has hired or contracted two former government ministers, a former MI6 chief, as well as other intelligence officials, a chief adviser to the prime minister and two generals.

Amnesty International UK crisis campaign manager Kristyan Benedict told the Morning Star: “The revolving door between the British government and Palantir raises serious questions about their public contracts — all of which should be terminated given Palantir’s link to human rights abuses.

“Recruiting officials from the very departments that oversaw massive public contracts, such as the £330m NHS Data Platform, requires urgent parliamentary scrutiny, especially in light of Palantir’s record.

“Palantir’s tools are currently used by the Israeli military as they carry out operations against Palestinians in Gaza, including the large-scale destruction of the health sector. 

“Due to its role in these abuses, Palantir should be nowhere near our NHS.”