UK Government Kicks Out Palantir

The UK Ministry of Housing Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) quietly ended its contract with Palantir for the Homes for Ukraine data system and rebuilt it in-house. The replacement is open source, cheaper by millions per year, and rated easier to use. The original Palantir contract was awarded via an urgent procurement exemption and was criticised by the National Audit Office for skipping standard research and testing. The author frames this as a win for sovereign technology and civil service capability, while noting the government's typical reluctance to publicly name underperforming suppliers.