TOM Watson should be permanently expelled from the House of Lords after being appointed “vice president” of Palantir, the Green members of the Chamber have said.
The former Labour deputy leader continuing as a peer while carrying out his new role is a “serious conflict of interest” due to the firm’s involvement in the UK’s public services, Natalie Bennett and Jenny Jones warned in a letter to Speaker Lord Forsyth.
Palantir works in cloud storage and surveillance technology. The company has been involved in Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency (ICE) in the US, helping them to target, identify and locate immigrants.
Palantir has also been accused of selling services to the Israeli Defense Forces and “profiting from genocide” in Gaza, according to UN special rapporteur Francesca Albanese.
Upon accepting the position – in which he’ll work alongside UK and Europe chief executive Louis Mosley, grandson of British Union of Fascists leader Oswald Mosley – Watson described Palantir as “the most interesting company on the planet”, and hit out at “propaganda” against the firm.
In the UK, Palantir is currently suing London Mayor Sadiq Khan’s office after he blocked a £50 million contract with the Metropolitan Police.
Andy Burnham, meanwhile, is under significant pressure from Labour MPs and unions to ditch Palantir from government contracts.
The two Green peers warned in their letter to Lord Forsyth: “It seems that Tom Watson is very well connected to the Labour Government, meaning that Palantir have just bought themselves a lobbyist with connections right to the heart of government.”
They pointed to The Times’ reporting that Watson is close to Burnham’s de-facto deputy Louise Haigh, and has worked with the likes of the Prime Minister and Chancellor John Healey during his political career.
“While Lord Watson is reported to have taken an absence of leave from the House of Lords while he does this role for Palantir, and we do understand that this is an option that is used for Peers who have taken on specific role in public service, how can this mechanism be appropriate when taking on a lobbying role for a global corporation?
“This is a revolving door of barely concealed ill intent. We wouldn’t want the public to think there is corruption going on here when there is already such little trust.”
The pair concluded: “There must be an end to all corporate interests and interference in the Lords. Tom Watson should choose to either be a life peer, or resign his peerage. We would be grateful if you could offer some guidance on this matter please.”
The Lord Speaker and Lord Watson have been contacted for comment.
There has been widespread anger over Watson's new position with Palantir.
LBC’s Ben Kentish said: “A current Labour peer taking a senior job at Palantir at the very moment the Government is under pressure to scale back Palantir’s involvement in the British state and increase AI regulation. Such blatant vested interests need to be removed from our Parliament.
“If people want to go and make loads of money lobbying for big US AI companies fine – but they should hand back their peerage rather than being allowed to vote on legislation affecting those same companies. It reeks.”
Mosley defended the appointment by saying Watson had taken a leave of absence and given up his House of Lords pass.
"He cannot attend, and he cannot vote on anything," the businessman wrote on X.
“We’ve gone further, in writing, in Tom’s contract: Every access and privilege arising from the peerage is revoked, including what a peer on leave of absence would ordinarily keep. He cannot return as an active member while he works at Palantir. He cannot use the title in any dealing on Palantir’s behalf.”
