Daniella Lock
@daniellalock.bsky.social
lecturer in law, KCL researching UK executive power, national security, political economy and human rights https://www.kcl.ac.uk/people/daniella-lock
'In 2024 the company paid just £2.1m in UK corporation tax, despite declaring profits of over £25m, giving an effective tax rate of just over 8%' www.theguardian.com/technology/2...
Palantir paid just £2m corporation tax in UK in 2024 despite lucrative public sector contracts
Software group benefits from global systems and accounting practices ‘that enable tax to be shirked’, says union boss
theguardian.com
‘Palantir’s market capitalisation has risen to $320 billion, 150 times earnings. The 𝘌𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘰𝘮𝘪𝘴𝘵 has speculated that “Palantir might be the most overvalued firm of all time.”’ @petergeoghegan.bsky.social and @lucasamin.bsky.social on Palantir’s NHS contract. www.lrb.co.uk/the-paper/v4...
Peter Geoghegan and Lucas Amin · ‘This looks absolutely rubbish’: Palantir and the NHS
A decade ago Palantir was largely unknown in the UK. It now holds public contracts worth hundreds of millions of pounds...
lrb.co.uk
This was carried out before Palestine Action was proscribed. Will judges be applying a similar approach to the actions of, for example, Just Stop Oil or Extinction Rebellion? www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2026...
Palestine Action activists face being sentenced as terrorists over bank damage
Exclusive: Judge intends to consider ‘terrorist connection’ after convicting five for damage to Barclays in Burnley
theguardian.com
'As can be seen from the OPEN gists of these [2006] authorisations, none of them identifies that Mr K is a journalist, nor that the data sought will reveal journalistic sources, nor that any heightened test applies as a consequence of these things.' investigatorypowerstribunal.org.uk/judgement/bb...
BBC & Kearney and Moore v PSNI and Others - The Investigatory Powers Tribunal
BBC & Kearney and Moore v PSNI and Others - The Investigatory Powers Tribunal
investigatorypowerstribunal.org.uk
Paul F Scott@paulfscott.bsky.social · 2w ago'Lawyers for Kearney and the BBC said there were seven separate police or MI5 operations that unlawfully obtained Kearney’s confidential communications data between 2006 and 2018.' www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2026...
Barristers and solicitors come together tonight to organise an event in solidarity with Rajiv Menon, the defence lawyer who faces contempt of court charges for daring to mention that juries are independent when speaking for a Palestine Action client. 🕠 Starts 5.30 us06web.zoom.us/webinar/regi...
The new Health Secretary took more than £165,000 from donors linked with the private healthcare sector, it has emerged
'Sir John’s conclusions make stark reading. His report outlines a series of failings both individually and organisationally within MI5 that led to false evidence being included in its witness statements.' questions-statements.parliament.uk/written-stat...
Written statements - Written questions, answers and statements - UK Parliament
Information from UK Parliament on written questions & answers, written statements and daily reports.
questions-statements.parliament.uk
“I investigated Palantir’s foothold in the British state – and what I found should worry us all” @petergeoghegan.bsky.social www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
I investigated Palantir’s foothold in the British state – and what I found should worry us all | Peter Geoghegan
Paid-for political access and threadbare regulations have helped to embed the US tech firm in the NHS – and beyond. But there is a way to free ourselves, says Peter Geoghegan of Democracy for Sale
theguardian.com
For all its professed commitment to “sovereign” tech capability, the UK government is remarkably ready to waive the rules to accommodate US data company Palantir. 🧵1/4
'A statement from the Hillsborough Law campaign confirmed: "The Government has now conceded that there will be no carve-outs, no exemptions for security services or anyone else...' But not clear if amendments will be made in Commons or Lords - not published as of now.
Liam Thorp@liamthorp.bsky.social · 3w agoExclusive: After months of delays and wrangling, the landmark Hillsborough Law bill WILL return to clear its final stages through the House of Commons this week A huge moment on its route to becoming a vital new law
The National Security (State Threats) Act is now law: www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2026/2...
legislation.gov.uk
“The findings cast doubt on claims by Starmer and his chancellor, Rachel Reeves, that they are boosting British jobs by reallocating large chunks of government spending to the Ministry of Defence (MoD).” Our new analysis in @theguardian.com 👇 www.theguardian.com/politics/202...
Infrastructure cuts to pay for defence will cost UK 10,000 jobs, analysis shows
Exclusive: Findings cast doubt on Starmer claims that reallocation of funds to MoD will boost British jobs
theguardian.com
In the Palestine Action case, the defendants broke into an Israeli defence company in the UK, causing millions in damage. FREDERICK ATTENBOROUGH explains how the judge, rather than a jury, declared their actions to be terrorist acts. verfassungsblog.de/palestine-ac...
All MPs' outside earnings by party: The Conservatives come out top at 66% of total earnings from second jobs, while Reform (with just eight MPs) account for 20%, and Labour (with 400+) just 7%. But taking into account their size, Reform has by far the highest outside earnings per MP of any party.
More NHS money for big pharma? This deal is baffling which is presumably why the government is implementing it in such an undemocratic way. Starmer’s goodbye gift to Britain: a US pharma deal that could be more lethal than Covid | Aditya Chakrabortty www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
Starmer’s goodbye gift to Britain: a US pharma deal that could be more lethal than Covid | Aditya Chakrabortty
The deal on medicine imports will cost the NHS billions and take funding away from doctors, nurses, cancer scans and the rest, says Guardian columnist Aditya Chakrabortty
theguardian.com
What is life after Palantir? Join our special event on how the UK can build back control over our digital infrastructure, data and tech with open source. Hear from @jim.killock.org.uk, @megafreda.eurosky.social and Jordan Maris discuss Digital Sovereignty. 🗓️ 15 July 🕧️ 6-8pm BST 💻️ Online ⬇️ Sign up
From Digital Dependence to Digital Sovereignty
The UK’s over reliance on a small number of foreign technology companies is putting our economy, security and democracy at risk.
openrightsgroup.org
'Billions that could be spent on ... improving our hospital care are set to be siphoned off by corporate giants in the pharma industry' US-UK drug deal could result in 229,000 excess deaths in England, analysis suggests www.theguardian.com/society/2026...
US-UK drug deal could result in 229,000 excess deaths in England, analysis suggests
Analysis reveals extent of impact on NHS of placating Donald Trump over price of British medicine exports
theguardian.com
Summary of the Home Office Impact Assessment for Asylum Bill is hilarious (if it weren't so depressing). HO analysts say "basically no evidence to suggest *any* of these policies will work *even on their own terms*" (but will probably cost money). assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/6a43e1...
Defenders of the private equity industry cast it as a bold force driving economic dynamism. But its record of destroying public services is no accident: private equity is essentially an elite project to profit from asset-stripping.
The Damage Caused by Private Equity Is No Accident
Defenders of the private equity industry cast it as a bold force driving economic dynamism. But its record of destroying public services is no accident: private equity is essentially an elite project to profit from asset-stripping.
jacobin.com
One of our alumni actually made this graph to illustrate that Exeter's financial position is totally solid:
PE insists it uses debt leverage ’responsibly’, by which they mean a high rate of return for investors. But if you asset strip public services, raise prices for goods and services and minimise investment it’s a dead end - you kill the real economy in the process. www.theguardian.com/business/ng-...
Good for business – or profit at any cost? The controversial side of private equity – a visual explainer
The use of private equity in essential services is attracting scrutiny. Here we examine some of its more contentious elements
theguardian.com
And the Constitution Committee has reported on the Bill: publications.parliament.uk/pa/ld5902/ld...
Paul F Scott@paulfscott.bsky.social · last mo.The Govt is trying to get the State Threats bill through by the end of the month: bills.parliament.uk/bills/4140/s... There was a fair bit of criticism of the timing at second reading in the Lords: hansard.parliament.uk/Lords/2026-0...
🚨 This is what corporate capture looks like While business interests already have unprecedented access, tech CEO's are now calling for direct access to Ursula von der Leyen. Their demand? To speed up the Commission's radical deregulation agenda. 👉 corporateeurope.org/en/2026/04/w...
European tech CEOs want direct line to craft EU policy
CEOs of Airbus, ASML, Ericsson and others have von der Leyen’s attention to push for deregulation, consolidation.
politico.eu
This new ruling sets out a bizarre episode where Government Legal Department reps entered the safe of a Special Advocate without their permission on national security grounds, in the lead up to a hearing concerning a Guantanamo detainee accusing the UK gov of complicity in torture.
Paul F Scott@paulfscott.bsky.social · 2mo agoThe judgment (in the Al-Libi case) about the seizure of material from the safe of Rachel Toney, is out: 'There are five respects in which the conduct of GLD, SIS and SASO was unsatisfactory.' caselaw.nationalarchives.gov.uk/ewhc/kb/2026...
The EWCA's Ammori decision marks a dismal low in the courts' scrutiny of national security issues. In a new post on @verfassungsblog.de, @alangreene.bsky.social, @daniellalock.bsky.social and I examine the depressing tricks by which rights protections disappear: verfassungsblog.de/palestine-ac...
Here are some thoughts on the new Court of Appeal Palestine Action ruling, written with @alangreene.bsky.social and @colinmurray.bsky.social for @verfassungsblog.de verfassungsblog.de/palestine-ac...
Myself, @daniellalock.bsky.social, and @colinmurray.bsky.social on the Court of Appeal's Palestine Action judgment. verfassungsblog.de/palestine-ac...
The Judiciary Exits the Scene
verfassungsblog.de
Some of the most exciting thinking about political economy in Britain has come out of PERC. Its closure is a huge loss and an indictment of the state of UK academia www.goldperc.uk/project_post...
Looking back on PERC - Political Economy Research Centre
The Political Economy Research Centre is to close formally this summer. Here, founding Director, Will Davies, reflects on its twelve years of activity. It took two or three years before the causes, ef...
goldperc.uk
