Sadiq Khan agrees to hand over texts and WhatsApps over blocked £50 million Palantir deal

London Mayor Sadiq Khan will have his text messages, WhatsApps and emails searched and disclosed to Palantir after the US technology company sued his office over a blocked £50 million Metropolitan Police contract.

The Guardian reported that lawyers for the Mayor’s Office for Policing and Crime (Mopac) had not originally considered it necessary for the London mayor to be among those whose communications are searched. They relented after Palantir kept pressing the point.

“Mopac did not originally consider it necessary or proportionate for the mayor to be added as a custodian, given that the decision was taken by the deputy mayor for policing and crime; his senior position; and the likelihood that any documents held by him would be held by other individuals,” said Joseph Barrett KC, counsel for the mayor’s office, in written submissions.

“However, Palantir has persisted in its requests, and Mopac has consented on a pragmatic basis.”

Khan and more than a dozen other Mopac and Greater London Authority officials will now be classed as custodians in the case.

The designation means their digital communications, including text messages, WhatsApp messages and Microsoft Teams chats, will be searched for anything relevant to the dispute and then handed to Palantir.

Sarah Brown, Khan’s former director of communications, is also on the custodian list. Brown moved from City Hall to Downing Street in July to become Director of Communications for Prime Minister Andy Burnham.

Palantir sought Brown’s inclusion after arguing in its claim that press coverage of the veto cited concerns about the company’s values and ethics. Mopac confirmed that Brown initiated press briefings about the decision.

The court has not yet settled the date range for the searches. Mopac is also demanding to see Palantir’s own internal documents relating to the deal, which the company is resisting.

How the deal collapsed

The proposed two-year contract would have seen Palantir supply artificial intelligence technology to automate intelligence analysis in the Met’s criminal investigations.

Palantir also works for the Israeli military and for the Trump administration on its immigration crackdown.

Kaya Comer-Schwartz, Deputy Mayor for Policing and Crime, withheld approval of the contract in May 2026, citing a “clear and serious breach” of procurement rules.

Mopac, which signs off large Scotland Yard contracts, said the Met had not presented its procurement strategy for approval, had seriously considered only one supplier and had not demonstrated value for money.

A City Hall spokesperson said at the time that the mayor would have concerns about spending public money on firms that act contrary to London’s values.

Mopac’s counsel later stated in court filings that the decision was not taken on the basis of Palantir’s values or ethics, and that blocking the award was the only lawful decision available.

Palantir accused Khan of “putting politics above public safety” after the veto and announced in June that it would sue.

Its High Court claim alleges an “unlawful veto” that improperly took the company’s values and ethics into account, and a company spokesperson has described Mopac’s defence as “false”.

Khan has told London Assembly sessions that the legal action restricts what he can say publicly. He said he supports the Met using modern technology provided proper processes and value for money are followed.

“It would not be appropriate for us to comment on ongoing legal proceedings,” said a spokesman for the Mayor of London after the hearing.

The full trial is listed for January 2027.

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