London, 14th July– A new YouGov poll shows deep public opposition to Palantir’s expanding footprint across critical UK public services,as the Trump-aligned tech firm comes under fresh scrutiny as MPs today fire off letters demanding transparency over Palantir contracts. The polling was commissioned by corporate accountability group, Eko.
65% of UK adults – and 75% of Labour voters – say the NHS’s contract with Palantir should not continue. The high levels of opposition were reflected across the political spectrum, and carry real electoral weight for Andy Burnham, likely to become Prime Minister later this month.
69% of UK adults, and 78% of Labour voters, say they would feel negatively towards a political party that contracts US technology firms to handle NHS data, with near-identical numbers for US firms processing sensitive national security data. The poll results demonstrate the high political cost associated with these controversial contracts. Burnham now inherits a decision with clear electoral stakes as the poll leaves little doubt where Labour voters stand.
Palantir’s close ties with the Israeli military and US immigration enforcement (ICE) have put the company under growing scrutiny. Hundreds of thousands of people have signed petitions calling on the UK government to cut ties with the controversial company, including 30,000 Ekō members.
Earlier this month, the government announced it is evaluating whether to trigger a break clause in the NHS’s contract with Palantir.
Ekō campaign director, Vicky Wyatt said:
“This poll shows again what Labour backbenchers have been telling Ministers for months - allowing US big tech firms like Palantir to embed themselves in critical public services undermines UK national security and wrecks Labour’s election chances.
"This is among Burnham's first tests. The poll is clear and the mechanism to cancel it exists. Burnham can be the Prime Minister who protected the NHS from a Trump-aligned surveillance firm. Or he can choose Palantir over the public"
The polling comes as Labour and Green MPs press the government over other government contracts with Palantir, specifically a 12-week proof-of-concept trial with the Financial Conduct Authority to help detect financial crime, with an option to make it permanent.
Five Green Party MPs today wrote to the Chancellor demanding the Treasury publish human rights and due-diligence assessments tied to the FCA procurement. In a separate letter, Labour backbencher, Clive Lewis MP, wrote to the FCA’s Chief Executive Nikhil Rathi, citing the company’s possible role in human rights abuses and calling on the agency to pause any expansion, extension or permanent adoption of Palantir systems pending further scrutiny.
FCA staff have raised their own concerns, including that the union wasn’t consulted, and that no guardrails exist to ensure Palantir handles sensitive financial data responsibly.
Green Party MP, Siân Berry said:
“Companies like Palantir should have no place within UK public bodies when they are linked to war crimes in Gaza, and violent deportations in the US.
“Ministers are failing to engage with serious concerns raised, including by FCA staff, that an extended contract with Palantir risks undermining public confidence in the FCA’s ability to regulate effectively and to the highest ethical standards.
“The Government should be looking to end all Palantir contracts with UK bodies, not strengthen its grip on major government functions.”
Will Searby, Regional Officer at Unite said:
“From alleged participation in war crimes to authoritarian surveillance and facilitating state repression, Palantir’s reputation precedes them, and our members are very concerned that there are insufficient safeguards to ensure that any data obtained by Palantir in the course of work with the FCA will be handled responsibly.
“Our members believe that explicitly stated hostility to regulation from senior figures in the company demonstrate that Palantir is a wholly unsuitable partner for the FCA. The decision to award the contract with Palantir was undertaken without consultation with the union, and our members will fight to ensure that this contract marks the end, rather than the beginning, of any cooperation between Palantir and the FCA.
The poll follows a string of damning revelations including news that Palantir staff are being given unlimited access to identifiable NHS patient data while working on its federated data platform. Further, there is concern that the US government could access data through the US CLOUD Act regardless of contractual protections. Earlier this month, the House of Commons technology select committee warned that Palantir’s deepening role in UK public services is an ‘unacceptable point of weakness.’
All figures, unless otherwise stated, are from YouGov Plc. Total sample size was 2,097 adults. Fieldwork was undertaken between 6th - 7th July 2026. The survey was carried out online. The figures have been weighted and are representative of all UK adults (aged 18+).
ENDS
View the full poll results here
For more information and a full breakdown of the data please contact vicky@eko.org
Letters available on request.
For more information about a current Ekō campaign or to arrange an interview with a spokesperson please contact us at
