Key facts
- Martha Dalton, a lobbyist for Palantir via Lodestone, aided Andy Burnham's campaign for prime minister.
- Dalton provided strategic communications and rebuttal support during Burnham's Makerfield byelection campaign.
- Lodestone worked for Palantir on projects promoting its AI software to MPs.
- Palantir has a £330 million contract with NHS England for a national medical data system.
- Campaigners are protesting Palantir's work for the Israeli military and US immigration authorities.
- Labour peer Tom Watson recently took a lobbying job with Palantir.
A recent lobbyist for the US tech company Palantir played a significant role in the campaign that helped Andy Burnham return to parliament and enter Downing Street. Martha Dalton, co-founder of the firm Lodestone, worked on strategic communications and rebuttals for Burnham during his Makerfield byelection campaign.
Lodestone worked for Palantir in 2024 and 2025, promoting its AI-powered software to MPs at parliamentary events. Dalton took six weeks of unpaid leave from Lodestone to support Burnham's campaign, stating her belief that he was the best person to lead the Labour party and the country. A spokesperson for Lodestone confirmed Dalton had no contact with clients during her leave and that the firm had worked with Palantir to explain its technology.
Palantir's UK operations are closely linked with the Labour government, with the company holding a £330 million contract with NHS England for a national medical data system. This deal is under pressure, with campaigners urging ministers to scrap it due to concerns about Palantir's work for the Israeli military in Gaza and its involvement with Donald Trump's immigration crackdown in the US. NHS England's chief executive, Jim Mackey, has acknowledged that the public health benefits may not be as significant as claimed.
Further connections between Labour and Palantir have emerged, including Labour peer Tom Watson taking a full-time lobbying role with the company. Palantir also has a £240 million contract with the UK Ministry of Defence and provides services to other police forces and councils. The company's executive vice-president for the UK and Europe, Louis Mosley, has defended the firm's technology, attributing criticism to "Palantir derangement syndrome."