Palantir drops High Court fight against Sadiq Khan's policing office over blocked £50m Met AI deal

Khan's office has formally acknowledged that its blocking of the £50m Metropolitan Police contract "could have incorrectly created the impression" that Palantir's values and ethics drove the decision — a significant concession after months of politically charged dispute. Both sides have dropped all claims against one another, averting a High Court trial scheduled for January that would have compelled searches of the mayor's texts and emails. Palantir may now re-enter the bidding process when the contract is re-run, with a decision expected in spring.

Palantir's UK head Louis Mosley had accused Khan of 'putting politics above public safety' after the mayor suggested Londoners wanted public money going to companies that 'share the values of our city'.

Tom Watson, a Palantir senior vice president — formerly Labour's deputy leader and brought on as the firm's lobbyist just last month — said the case had sought to establish that procurement rules were 'being applied fairly'.

A separate £330m Palantir NHS contract is under government review after a parliamentary committee found a 'clear mismatch with UK values' and called for a break clause to be triggered.