What are the implications of the newest tranche of Epstein files for the NHS? Lucy Nichols examines

Peter Mandelson’s close friendship with Jeffery Epstein has sparked a crisis in the heart of Westminster, with Keir Starmer in a very weak position as a result. But what do we know about Mandelson, Palantir and the NHS from these newly released files?

The Epstein files reveal the perversity and corruption of some of the world’s wealthiest and most powerful men. We now also know that Mandelson abused his position as a public servant during his time in government, handing sensitive information over to Epstein. Even after Epstein’s conviction for sex crimes involving children Mandelson remained a close friend and sent him supportive messages. Finally, the files suggest that Mandelson engaged with private companies, such as JP Morgan, in efforts that risked undermining Gordon Brown’s Labour government, despite serving in it at the time.

Where is the controversy around Palantir coming from?

Epstein had close business links to Palantir co-founder Peter Thiel, through a venture capital fund, Valar Ventures. Thiel and Epstein worked together from 2014-2019, up until Epstein’s final arrest and after he had pleaded guilty to soliciting prostitution from minors.

Mandelson too had strong links to Palantir. He founded a political lobbying firm, Global Counsel. This firm was hired by Palantir in 2018 to help procure UK Government contracts, while Epstein and Peter Thiel were still linked. Mandelson stopped his involvement with Global Counsel when he was appointed as UK ambassador to the US but still held shares in the firm.

By this point, Palantir had already secured the £330 million contract with the NHS. The company now holds over £670 million worth of contracts with the UK government, including the NHS contract as well as others. Keir Starmer visited the US Headquarters of Palantir in early 2025, as part of an official visit to the White House, a meeting facilitated by Mandelson and taking place while Palantir was still a client of Global Counsel.

Following the recent disclosures, Mandelson is currently under investigation by the Metropolitan Police for misconduct in public office. There is increasing pressure on Starmer, including from his own MPs, to reveal just how much he knew about Mandelson’s links to Epstein, with calls for full transparency despite the pending police investigation.

Starmer admitted to Parliament that he was in fact aware that Mandelson had maintained contact with Epstein even after  his conviction. Mandelson’s reputation for operating behind the scenes, controlling messaging and aggressive strategic role in party politics had earned him the nickname ‘Prince of Darkness’ as early as the mid 1980’s, when he was Labour’s Director of Communications under leader Neil Kinnock. 

What are the implications for the NHS?

Mandelson’s fall from grace doesn’t just affect Westminster politics but demonstrates his, and successive UK Governments’, failure to put the public first. The lack of transparency and shady lobbying over Palantir is concerning for those fighting for a better NHS. So is Mandelson’s clear betrayal of the idea that politicians ought to be working in the public’s interest.

Palantir’s contract with the NHS has already been the subject of serious opposition, given the company’s links to the Israel Defense Forces and US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), the nature of how the contract was procured, and concerns around abuse of patient data. The Mandelson affair will undoubtedly put this contract under more scrutiny when it comes up for renewal in 2027, with mounting evidence indicating that it must not be renewed.

Palantir out of the NHS

Support for the termination of Palantir’s contract with the NHS has already come from a wide range of organisations. Keep Our NHS Public recently joined the Peace and Justice Project’s online briefing on Palantir. We also joined Green Party Leader Zack Polanski outside Palantir’s UK Headquarters, to hand in a symbolic ‘termination of contract’ notice.

Local campaigns, such as the Hackney Coalition Against Palantir, and Keep Our NHS Public’s Leeds branch have been working hard to hold their local trusts and Integrated Care Boards to account over their use of Palantir’s technology. Similar campaigns exist around the country, and many NHS trusts remain reluctant to use Palantir’s technology. This is both because the software is seen as inferior to existing systems, and public disquiet over whether their data will be kept confidential and used only to the benefit of the NHS.

As ICE continues to terrorise civilians in the US, Palantir is under even more pressure. It would be legitimate to call for an end to the Palantir contract solely based on the company’s ties to war and militarism, or indeed its lack of expertise in dealing with health data. However, that this private company is causing harm to the NHS, and putting our data at risk, makes this argument far stronger. The opaque circumstances under which Palantir was awarded the NHS contract in the first place further undermines its position. The British Medical Association (BMA) has called for a ‘move away’ from Palantir. BMA President Tom Dolphin argued that “there must be a complete break from Palantir technologies in the NHS and no further contracts awarded.”

However, Palantir is not the only private company that is undermining the health service. There must be full transparency in how NHS contracts are procured. Wes Streeting has accepted up to £372,000 from private health companies and  has no ideological commitment to keeping private profit out of public health. Streeting instead prefers to join his predecessors in welcoming in the private sector as ‘partners’.

The Government must finally put public health first. This includes properly funding the NHS and reducing outsourcing, as it promised in its manifesto. No private company should be allowed to lobby and cheat its way into profiting  from the NHS. Mandelson must face justice and the full details of his actions and exactly what was known by the Prime Minister made  public. Finally, Wes Streeting should listen to the calls of many other MPs, unions, campaigners and NHS workers and commit to a fully public NHS.

Reposted from Keep our NHS Public, the original can be viewed here.