Lord Tom Watson has left UK Music after six years to become a Senior Vice President at Palantir UK, and the announcement has set social media on fire. He shared the news on X on September 18, 2026, describing Palantir as“the most interesting company on the planet, doing work of real consequence.”The firm was co-founded by billionaire Peter Thiel, has CIA financial backing, and works with the US and Israeli militaries, ICE, the FBI, and the NHS.
Green MP Sian Berry didn’t hold back, calling the appointment“yet another example of the corrosive revolving door between politics and big business lobbying that has no place in public life,”adding that Palantir has“no business at all in our NHS and public services.”Watson responded by noting he has given up his parliamentary pass and cannot return to the Lords as an active peer while working at Palantir. Palantir’s Louis Mosley praised Watson’s“deep understanding of how AI is changing the ways the state can help people in Britain.”
For music fans, the move closes a chapter that started in 2020, when Watson’s UK Music appointment was already met with industry scepticism. Now the debate has shifted from playlists to public services, and it’s not cooling down. Is the revolving door between politics and big tech a genuine problem, or is this just how modern careers work?
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Local Lawton
Local Lawton is a contributor to LocalBeat, covering local news and community stories.