Labour members have called on the Government to end the NHS's reliance on Palantir, as pressure mounts over the US technology company's role in Britain's public services.

Members of Exeter Constituency Labour Party called on the Labour Government to exercise the 2027 break clause and end the NHS's reliance on Palantir, citing concerns over data sovereignty and the company's links to the ongoing war in Gaza.

The intervention came as Louise Haigh, the first secretary of state, used the Labour Party Conference to commit to ‘building our sovereign capabilities and backing our own incredible tech sector' while ‘refusing to be in hock to foreign giants'.

However, Labour's Conference Arrangements Committee blocked the motion on Palantir's NHS contract during the conference, despite over 20,000 Labour members voting for the motion to be debated.

The row comes amid growing scrutiny of Palantir's role across Government. The company has amassed over £500m of Government contracts from the Department of Health and Social Care and Ministry of Defence over the past three years.

Pressure is set to continue this Thursday, with patients, NHS workers and activists staging protests over Palantir's role in the NHS in more than 35 towns and cities across Britain, including at the Royal Devon and Exeter Hospital.

The demonstrations form part of an international week of action, with co-ordinated action taking place across five continents.

Soraya Safazadeh from No Palantir in the NHS and NHS data analyst, called for an end to the NHS contract with Palantir, said: ‘The fruits of our labour are tangible; we've seen our campaign have a real impact politically, MPs from seven different political parties have spoken out.

‘Two Parliamentary committees have made recommendations in line with ending the contract.

‘We want to use this opportunity to be inspired by each other's efforts around the world. I've got great faith that in a few weeks' time, you'll be celebrating the victory with us and we'll say there's no Palantir in our NHS.'

Growing pressure comes ahead of a key decision on the future of Palantir's role in the NHS, with the Government able to exercise a break clause in the Federated Data Platform contract in March 2027.

Dame Chi Onwurah, chair of the Science, Innovation and Technology Committee, has called on the Government to ‘invest in an in-house alternative or support a UK-based provider'.

Debate also comes as ministers place greater emphasis on building sovereign UK technology capabilities and reducing the UK's reliance on overseas providers for critical infrastructure.

A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson said: ‘The benefits of the FDP service are clear, with thousands more patients benefitting every month, including through the reduction in the number of unnecessary days spent in hospital after treatment.'

NHS England has commissioned Imperial College London to conduct an independent evaluation of the impact, processes, and value for money of the NHS FDP.