Met-Palantir AI contract blocked by London policing office over procurement breach

The Mayor’s Office for Policing and Crime (Mopac) blocked a £50m contract between the Metropolitan Police and US technology firm Palantir in May 2026. The deal would have provided artificial intelligence tools for criminal investigations across London’s 32 boroughs and the City of London.

Mopac said the Met failed to present a lawful procurement strategy. In court documents filed on 12 September 2026, Joseph Barrett KC, representing Mopac, described the breach as 'clear and serious'. The office argued the decision was necessary to prevent an 'unacceptable risk of unlawfulness'.

Palantir’s legal challenge

Palantir is suing Mopac, alleging the veto was based on the company’s 'values and ethics' rather than procedural failures. Lord Pannick KC, representing Palantir, previously called the decision 'irrational, disproportionate, and based on irrelevant considerations'. The firm is seeking a court order to force Mopac to approve the contract.

Mopac’s defence rejects this claim. Barrett stated the Met had 'repeatedly' provided 'inaccurate, misleading and/or inconsistent information' about its procurement process. He added that the Met had not considered any other suppliers for the contract, which Mopac said was a further breach of procurement rules.

Impact on London policing

The AI tools at the centre of the dispute are already used by other UK police forces, as well as the NHS and the Ministry of Defence. The Met had planned to deploy the technology to analyse crime patterns, manage investigations, and allocate resources across London’s boroughs.

A Met Police spokesperson told the BBC the force is 'reviewing the implications' of Mopac’s decision. They declined to comment on whether alternative suppliers would be considered. It is unclear when the Met will restart the procurement process or if Palantir will remain the preferred bidder.

What happens next

A full High Court hearing is scheduled for January 2027. The court will decide whether Mopac’s veto was lawful and, if not, whether the contract should be awarded to Palantir. If the ruling favours Mopac, the Met will need to restart its procurement process, potentially delaying the rollout of AI tools for months or years.

Residents in Barnet and other London boroughs will not see immediate changes to policing as a result of the dispute. However, the outcome could shape how the Met adopts new technology in future, including tools for predictive policing, facial recognition, and data analysis.