Tom Watson

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Thanks @chelfulhamben - can I just check that there has been a controlled study that proves cause and effect on this claim about waiting lists from your website?

Next in my series of mythbusting videos - the debate around Federated Data Platform benefits.

The Office for Statistics Regulation has pointed out that there has not yet been a study on the FDP that controls for other factors - things like staffing level changes or industrial action.

That’s a fair note of caution. But critics seem to be arguing that it means we need to ignore the numbers altogether. Here, I explain what’s going on and why I believe that is wrong.

Palantir’s critics would have you believe we have a monopoly on government technology spend, with one MP saying there are “tentacles here that stretch into so many corners of the British state” and comparing our business practices to “what drug dealers do.”

Last time I checked, there were 23 government departments. We have contracts with two of them. We also work with some police forces, the National Energy System Operator (NESO) and precisely one of nearly 400 local authorities in UK.

I’d love for us to do more, but let’s keep things in perspective.

Mr Polanski, I know you have a reputation for being scrupulous about checking your facts, but you’ve missed an important detail.

My contract requires me to remain on leave from the Lords, surrender my parliamentary pass and forgo all access and voting rights for the duration of my employment at Palantir. I do not, therefore, take any whip.

I fear this makes me rather less useful to the whips’ office than you imply.