American tech firm Palantir should challenge Sadiq Khan in court after the London mayor blocked a £50m contract with the Metropolitan Police, former government legal officer Sir Michael Ellis has said.  

Sir Michael Ellis KC, a former Tory attorney general under Liz Truss, said Khan’s decision is “an extraordinary intervention, which may be susceptible to judicial review.” 

Ellis told the Times that the mayor’s decision “appears to be based, at least in part, on Khan’s political sensibilities, namely how he views the values and ethics of this American company.” 

“If I were Palantir, I would be seeking legal advice as to whether Khan’s actions could be overturned by the courts,” Ellis said. 

Last week, Khan vetoed the deal, in which Palantir would’ve supported Scotland Yard with AI technology, over concerns regarding the Met’s procurement process, claiming they had failed to approach any other firms as well as Palantir. 

Khan’s office also nodded to the “ethics” of companies it procures from and a spokesperson said that Londoners want to spend money on businesses that reflect the city’s values. 

Palantir, founded by American tech billionaire Peter Thiel, already holds contracts with other public sector bodies in the UK including the NHS, the Ministry of Defence, and many regional police forces such as in Bedfordshire and Leicestershire. 

The Met police had been eyeing an AI upgrade with the deal that could have changes how crimes are investigated across London.

Ellis added that the bodies which already have contracts with Palantir “have far superior technology than others in the security space.” 

The company has been used by organisations including the Israel Defence Forces and in immigration raids in the US.

Sadiq Khan under fire

Palantir’s UK chief executive, Louis Mosley, called out Khan on Times Radio on 22 May, accusing the mayor of “putting politics over public safety”. 

“Not allowing the Metropolitan Police to have this software will give hostile states and criminals an advantage. It’ll mean they cannot put more officers on the front line,” Mosley said. 

“He [Khan] talks about values, but I think what Londoners value is not being mugged, not being raped by a serving police officer,” Mosley added. 

Speaking on the same programme, business secretary Peter Kyle said Khan needs to “set out the reasons” for deciding to block the deal.