Luke Pollard, the Minister for Defence Procurement, was grilled over the Government’s deals with US spy-tech giant Palantir.

Pollard repeatedly failed to answer basic questions, one time blaming his recent trip to Saudi Arabia’s arms fair for his lack of answers.

I’m here in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, supporting UK SMEs and wider industry partners attending the World Defence Show 2026. Defence is an engine for growth, and the UK is proud to stand with Saudi Arabia in difficult times and to build on our partnership and friendship. pic.twitter.com/Ql0iCG5uPH

— Luke Pollard MP (@LukePollard) February 9, 2026

Pollard seemingly absolved Peter Mandelson’s links to Palantir from playing any role in the government awarding a contract worth £240 million to Palantir, signed in December 2025. Pollard maintained, repeatedly, that the £240 million deal was merely an extension of the 2022 agreement signed by the previous Conservative Government.

He said:

This Government took over what the Tories started in 2022, but we made it work better for Britain and better for our forces. As the Defence Secretary has said, the contract was his decision, and his alone. Peter Mandelson had no influence on the decision to award this contract

And again:

I have been clear in my answers today that the decision to extend the 2022 contract signed under the previous Government was made by the Secretary of State alone. It was his decision to do so.

The February 2025 Washington meeting between the Prime Minister, Peter Mandelson, and Palantir CEO Alex Karp, was asked about twice, and twice the Pollard could not give a straight answer. The meeting, after all, preceded the December 2025 contract. The minutes of that meeting were not noted.  At the time, Palantir was a client of Global Counsel, the lobbying firm Mandelson founded.

Palantir is a US company that specialises in artificial intelligence-powered military and surveillance technology and data analytics. Billionaire Trump donor Peter Thiel was a co-founder of the company.

Jeremy Corbyn asked whether Britain should be entangled with a company complicit in the destruction of Gaza, a company that had, in his words, “wormed” its way into UK government contracts and the NHS.

“A trap”: Palantir links to Epstein Slammed

The £1 NHS COVID contract from 2020 was raised by Labour MP Dawn Butler, and she did not mince words:

When I was in opposition, I raised concerns about Palantir and the £1 deal that was made. It was always a trap to ensure that Palantir got its foot in where no one else could. The co-founder of Palantir is mentioned in the Epstein files. I think that anyone who is mentioned in the Epstein files should be fully investigated by this House and by the police; the scandal is an absolute disgrace.

Green MP Dr Ellie Chowns also had questions. Chowns posed three questions: would the MOD cancel the Palantir contract, launch an independent inquiry into the company’s billions in UK framework deals, and confirm whether Mandelson shared privileged information with the firm?

Labour’s Clive Lewis had already called the whole affair a stink. Chowns agreed.

The govt is refusing to commit to an inquiry into the MOD’s contracts with US-based spy tech giant Palantir despite the web of shady connections between Mandelson, Epstein, and Palantir co-founder Peter Thiel – this absolutely stinks. pic.twitter.com/UDVi7P7GmO

— Dr Ellie Chowns MP (@EllieChowns) February 10, 2026

We agree — it is a stinking mess!

By The Canary

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