Former Labour deputy leader Tom Watson has joined the US tech firm Palantir as a senior vice president. The company stated on Friday that Watson, who served as an MP for 18 years and held ministerial roles under Gordon Brown, will work alongside Palantir’s UK and Europe chief Louis Mosley.
Watson has been a part-time adviser to Palantir since 2024. He stated his focus will be on Palantir’s work across defence, policing, and the NHS, as well as addressing criticism of the company. Watson said part of his role would be to “correct false information” while working with engineers on privacy, security, and sovereign control.
Palantir currently holds a seven-year, £330m contract to provide the NHS Federated Data Platform. The company also has a £240m contract with the Ministry of Defence and generated £427m of UK revenue last year. Palantir is also involved in a dispute with London mayor Sadiq Khan over a proposed £50m contract with the Metropolitan Police.
Palantir stated that Watson has taken a leave of absence from the House of Lords and relinquished his parliamentary pass while working for the company. Alex Karp, Palantir’s chief executive, said the appointment was the “latest chapter of Tom’s forty-year fight for better public services”.