Thousands set to take to the streets in resistance to Palantir’s NHS deal

Today demonstrations are mounting outside more than 40 hospitals and at Palantir’s London HQ, as thousands of people urge the government to cancel Palantir’s £330m contract to handle our sensitive health records.

This day of action comes hot on the heels of the Labour conference, where party leadership blocked a motion to cancel the deal over Palantir’s deep links to the Israeli military.

With the government facing a critical decision on whether to cancel Palantir’s NHS contract, the surveillance company is pulling out every stop to buy political influence. Last month the firm appointed former Labour deputy leader Tom Watson as its UK Senior Vice President. Since then, Palantir has made its playbook clear by admitting to actively tracking the elected representatives who dare to speak out.

At a Labour conference fringe event, MP Clive Lewis exposed a ‘threatening’ letter he received from Watson, which enumerated all 130-plus anti-Palantir remarks Lewis has made since 2020.

If Palantir is so trustworthy, why are they using surveillance tactics to track and intimidate those calling out their record?

The reality is that Palantir’s claims are falling apart. Independent investigations have thoroughly debunked allegations that their software cuts waiting lists. Hospital trusts nationwide are actively resisting government pressure to adopt the platform, and frontline doctors remain in open revolt.

The government cannot allow our health service to be permanently locked into a deeply compromised system that treats patient trust as a commodity. Ministers must listen to NHS workers, parliamentary committees, and the public, and kick Palantir out of our health service once and for all.