Starmer, Mandelson, a Secret Meeting, a £240m Contract, Shareholdings and a Ministerial Breach
Starmer again stands accused of violating the ministerial code after failing to register a meeting with US tech giant Palantir in DC, then awarding it a huge contract with no tender process.
The meeting took place in February 2025 alongside Peter Mandelson, then serving as UK ambassador to the United States, and involved no official record in the Prime Minister’s register of interests. Palantir, a client of Mandelson’s lobbying firm at the time, later secured major UK government contracts worth hundreds of millions of pounds. This latest episode fits a troubling pattern of opacity and potential conflicts of interest at the heart of the Labour government.
The Undisclosed Washington Meeting
In February 2025 Starmer and Mandelson toured Palantir’s headquarters and met with the company’s chief executive Alex Karp. Mandelson, who had arranged the engagement while holding a senior diplomatic post that has seen much controversy and accusations on lies over the last couple of weeks, facilitated access for the firm. No entry for this briefing appears in the official register of ministerial visits or interests, despite clear rules requiring such declarations. Downing Street has attempted to dismiss the event as an informal visit rather than a formal meeting, yet questions remain about whether any agenda was recorded or minutes taken. Conservative MPs have highlighted the absence of transparency, with one noting that the meeting simply did not appear in the prime minister’s register.
Mandelson’s Lobbying Ties And Shareholding
At the time of the meeting Mandelson retained a commanding 24% stake in Global Counsel, the lobbying firm he co-founded. Palantir was listed as a client of that firm. Global Counsel had actively worked with Palantir and other US tech interests seeking government access. Mandelson only sold his shares later, after the firm faced collapse amid more separate controversies. This direct financial link raises serious questions about whether private lobbying interests influenced official government business. The ministerial code exists precisely to prevent such blurred lines between public duty and personal or associated commercial gain.
Palantir Secures Lucrative UK Contracts Outside The Tender Process
Following the unregistered meeting Palantir went on to win significant British taxpayer-funded contracts. In December 2025 the Ministry of Defence awarded the company a £240 million data analytics contract by direct award without open tender. The firm already holds over £600 million in total contracts across UK public bodies, including a £330 million deal with the NHS for its federated data platform. These arrangements have drawn scrutiny from MPs across parties concerned about ethics in procurement and the protection of sensitive public data. The sequence of events, from undisclosed meeting to major contract awards, fuels legitimate concerns about favouritism.
A Pattern Of Secrecy Echoing Earlier Scandals
This is not an isolated incident. It mirrors the earlier case involving Starmer and Rachel Reeves meeting with BlackRock’s Larry Fink and Microsoft’s Bill Gates, where no proper meeting notes were kept and transparency was similarly absent, and Government policy decisions were then made including farmers IHT. In both instances the government has relied on claims of informality to evade accountability. Such repeated failures erode public trust in the very standards Labour once promised to uphold. The ministerial code demands that ministers declare interests and avoid even the appearance of impropriety. Ignoring it repeatedly suggests a culture of entitlement rather than service.
A Challenge To Labour Cronyism
Several uncomfortable truths emerge from this affair. First, the involvement of Peter Mandelson, a veteran of the Blair era with a long history of controversy, highlights how Labour continues to reward insiders over national interest. Second, big tech firms with globalist agendas gain privileged access while ordinary Britons face higher taxes and reduced services. Third, the lack of recorded agendas or minutes prevents proper scrutiny of decisions that commit vast public funds. This is not competent governance. It is the return of the same elite networks that plagued previous Labour administrations, now dressed up in modern tech jargon. Right-leaning voices have long warned that without strict enforcement of transparency rules, government becomes a vehicle for private gain rather than public good.
Remember, Starmer came to power on a ticket of bringing back truth and decency to politics.
Restore Britain Points The Way Forward
Starmer’s latest breach adds to the mounting evidence that his government lacks the integrity and discipline needed to serve Britain effectively. Rupert Lowe has been blunt in his assessment of Starmer and the Mandelson circle. He has stated that Starmer is an awful prime minister who should resign in disgrace and that Mandelson should face proper accountability. Restore Britain’s policies offer a clear alternative; rigorous enforcement of ministerial standards, an end to unchecked lobbying influence, and procurement processes that prioritise British interests over globalist tech giants.
By demanding full transparency, ending crony appointments, and restoring accountability to government, Restore Britain would prevent these scandals from recurring and rebuild trust in our institutions. Only through such principled reform can Britain move beyond the failures of the current administration.