UK
MIRROR EXCLUSIVE: Rishi Sunak's lobbyist election guru represents US firm bidding for huge NHS deal
The PM brought in lobbyist Isaac Levido to help with election strategy - but the Sunday Mirror can reveal his firm, Fleetwood Strategy, lobbies on behalf of Palantir - who the PM praised warmly last month
By Mikey Smith
Whitehall Correspondent
THE MIRROR
18 Feb 2023
A Lobbyist Rishi Sunak hired into his inner circle is representing a US firm bidding for the biggest private contract in NHS history.
The PM brought in lobbyist Isaac Levido to help with election strategy, as the Tories try to avoid a brutal wipeout at the hands of voters.
But the Sunday Mirror understands he still works for Fleetwood Strategy, a registered lobbying firm with controversial tech firm Palantir on its books.
Campaigners fear the firm, co-founded by Donald Trump donor Peter Thiel, is in “pole position” to bag the £360 million contract to create a central database for all NHS patient information.
And last month, shortly after Mr Levido started advising Mr Sunak, the PM praised Palantir at a public event.
During Q&A on the NHS in January, Mr Sunak said the firm was doing “a really good job” at helping tackle the NHS backlog.
Palantir is already contracted to the NHS, having been among big tech firms to team up with the health service to ensure vital medical equipment was available to the facilities most in need during the coronavirus outbreak.
Since 2020 Palantir has secured more than £37 million in contracts with the NHS and the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC).
18 Feb 2023
A Lobbyist Rishi Sunak hired into his inner circle is representing a US firm bidding for the biggest private contract in NHS history.
The PM brought in lobbyist Isaac Levido to help with election strategy, as the Tories try to avoid a brutal wipeout at the hands of voters.
But the Sunday Mirror understands he still works for Fleetwood Strategy, a registered lobbying firm with controversial tech firm Palantir on its books.
Campaigners fear the firm, co-founded by Donald Trump donor Peter Thiel, is in “pole position” to bag the £360 million contract to create a central database for all NHS patient information.
And last month, shortly after Mr Levido started advising Mr Sunak, the PM praised Palantir at a public event.
During Q&A on the NHS in January, Mr Sunak said the firm was doing “a really good job” at helping tackle the NHS backlog.
Palantir is already contracted to the NHS, having been among big tech firms to team up with the health service to ensure vital medical equipment was available to the facilities most in need during the coronavirus outbreak.
Since 2020 Palantir has secured more than £37 million in contracts with the NHS and the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC).
Rishi Sunak brought Mr Levido in to his team to help with election strategy
Meanwhile, Palantir has been steadily hiring former Government officials.
Harjeet Dhaliwal, deputy director of data services at NHS England joined the firm in June 2022. A spokesperson for Palantir stated that Dhaliwal would not be “working on any NHS related projects.”
Former Conservative Treasury Minister Lord O’Neill of Gatley is also a shareholder of Palantir.
In 2021 openDemocracy reported that a number of former Palantir officials had gone on to work for the government.
One of them, Mike Spiers, joined DHSC in December 2020, six months after leaving Palantir.
Spiers went on to become the Chief of Staff, Deputy Director, to the COO of Covid Testing, before leaving in May to join AI firm Faculty.
A Fleetwood Strategy spokesman said: “We register clients in full accordance with the rules.”
A Palantir spokesman said: “We’re proud that we're helping to reduce the care backlog, cut the time nurses and doctors need to spend on administrative tasks, and speed up cancer diagnosis - all while rigorously protecting data privacy.
“Most importantly, we are seeing promising results, including at Chelsea and Westminster NHS Foundation Trust, which, as the Prime Minister said, has seen a 28 per cent waiting list reduction."
Meanwhile, Palantir has been steadily hiring former Government officials.
Harjeet Dhaliwal, deputy director of data services at NHS England joined the firm in June 2022. A spokesperson for Palantir stated that Dhaliwal would not be “working on any NHS related projects.”
Former Conservative Treasury Minister Lord O’Neill of Gatley is also a shareholder of Palantir.
In 2021 openDemocracy reported that a number of former Palantir officials had gone on to work for the government.
One of them, Mike Spiers, joined DHSC in December 2020, six months after leaving Palantir.
Spiers went on to become the Chief of Staff, Deputy Director, to the COO of Covid Testing, before leaving in May to join AI firm Faculty.
A Fleetwood Strategy spokesman said: “We register clients in full accordance with the rules.”
A Palantir spokesman said: “We’re proud that we're helping to reduce the care backlog, cut the time nurses and doctors need to spend on administrative tasks, and speed up cancer diagnosis - all while rigorously protecting data privacy.
“Most importantly, we are seeing promising results, including at Chelsea and Westminster NHS Foundation Trust, which, as the Prime Minister said, has seen a 28 per cent waiting list reduction."
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