Foxglove's @tmsqrll.bsky.social: "In approving this monstrous data centre, the council failed to properly weigh the enormous harms to the environment of the sheer quantities of electricity this development will use [and] credulously accepted the developer’s incorrect figures"
Press release: English council approves data centre with one million tonnes annual climate pollution
www.foxglove.org.uk/2026/03/11/p...
Today, the UK govt released emails in which Peter Mandelson appeared to take credit for his role in the UK-US tech partnership, announced in 2025. At the time, Mandelson reportedly still held a stake in lobbying firm Global Counsel - which counted Palantir and OpenAI among its clients in 2024.
Amazon's dominance isn't just about markets - it's a threat to democracy.
Good piece by @iburrell.bsky.social inews.co.uk/opinion/amaz...
Press release: councillors in Lincolnshire will tomorrow vote on whether to give the go-ahead to a vast data centre, which will produce over 1,000,000 tonnes of CO2 per year:
www.foxglove.org.uk/2026/03/10/p...
Just one proposed data centre in England would produce annual climate emissions equivalent to all British Airways flights within the UK and to Europe - important story from @adamvaughan.bsky.social www.thetimes.com/uk/environme...
A proposed data centre will produce 1 million tonnes of CO2 pollution per year, due to its huge electricity use.
This is double the amount absorbed annually by all of the woodlands in Wales.
www.thetimes.com/uk/environme...
📢 Our line-up for Resisting Big Tech Empires just got even stronger.
We’re excited to welcome Nick Srnicek (@nsrnicek.bsky.social, author of Silicon Empires) and Rosa Curling (@foxglovelegal.bsky.social)
📅 Sat 25 April, London
🎟️ Free tix: www.globaljustice.org.uk/tech-empires
🧵
Pleased to sign this 👇 The government’s data centres will blow our climate goals out of the water. We can’t keep pretending there’s no contradiction here.
"A senior NHS official privately urged colleagues to add more patient data into a Palantir-built platform at the same time as he was being paid to advise the US technology company."
www.ft.com/content/6c54...
Important story:
"The chair of the competition watchdog’s cloud inquiry has quit, saying he is frustrated at the slow pace of action against Microsoft and Amazon, while also citing concerns about its wider independence."
The Govt recently confirmed Amazon's former UK chief as head of the CMA.
ICYMI: "The reality is his fellow ministers are happily pushing through the construction projects of Trump-supporting tech giants, without a thought for the environmental carnage."
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
Datacentres could DOUBLE the UK's overall energy demand in service of big tech oligarchs.
We've joined five other groups inc @foxglovelegal.bsky.social to call for our government to put measures in place to ensure the public and climate don't pay the price.
www.theguardian.com/technology/2...
We're calling on the UK Government to ensure there are real protections for the environment in its upcoming 'national policy statement' on data centres - alongside @friends-earth.bsky.social @globalactionplan.bsky.social @opportunitygreen.org @globaljusticenow.bsky.social & Green Web Foundation
Should the UK Govt be taking advice on what tech to buy from TBI, a group largely funded by the billionaire owner of Oracle? www.theguardian.com/technology/2...
'Foxglove, the tech equity campaign group, said the Treasury meeting was “yet more evidence of the government’s excessively cosy relationship with Big Tech”.'
www.theguardian.com/technology/2...
UK Govt continuing with its highly successful fox-led henhouse strategy: www.reuters.com/sustainabili...
This new BBC tech podcast is worth a listen - especially the 2nd item from @karenhao.bsky.social on data centres:
www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/...
"Doctors and patient groups have raised ethical and safety concerns over plans to nationally roll out an AI tool that writes hospital discharge letters...the AI-Assisted Discharge Summary system [will use] the NHS Federated Data Platform (NHS FDP), operated by the US tech giant Palantir."
Oh dear – UK government still flogging debunked claim that AI Growth Zones create lots of jobs, in response to good PQ from @chionwurah.bsky.social tinyurl.com/5n85fpxk
We skewered this claim last month with FT's Alphaville: www.ft.com/content/1a48...
Today we join @foxglovelegal.bsky.social & others demanding transparency around the tech trade deals which Mandelson crafted - including the Palantir MoD deal.
An awful lot of Global Counsel clients did very well out of these deals. 1/2
The Tony Blair Institute is calling for more fossil fuel generation to power data centres.
The Tony Blair Institute has received hundreds of millions in funding from Larry Ellison, the head of Oracle, which has invested billions in data centres.
Could the two possibly be connected?
Important story from the BBC, quoting Foxglove evidence on the huge climate impact of power-hungry data centres.
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
"The prime minister and the health secretary should listen to the public they serve when they tell them Palantir has no place in the NHS.
“They should not be scheming with tech billionaires’ staff on how best they can ‘mitigate’ the ‘public perception’ problems these tech giants deservedly face".
Call for transparency over UK - Palantir links:
www.foxglove.org.uk/campaigns/ma...
“OpenAI was a client of Global Counsel in 2024. Just one year later, when Mandelson was in post as ambassador to the US, they announced a major ‘strategic partnership’ with the British government"
www.theguardian.com/politics/202...
Good to speak to @foxglovelegal.bsky.social earlier
Worried about #Palantir tentacles into 🇬🇧 government?Then sign& repost this petition 👊
Peter Mandelson's dealings with Palantir. Did he use his position as UK Ambassador to benefit the US spy tech firm? Sign now: www.foxglove.org.uk/campaigns/ma...
Very much agree that the track record of Palantir and the views of its founder/chair mean it's never been a firm that should be anywhere near UK public services - not always possible to get all of that across in one post but we've set out a bit more here: www.foxglove.org.uk/2026/02/06/u...
Join our call for transparency over Mandelson's links with Palantir: www.foxglove.org.uk/campaigns/ma...
Trump-aligned spy-tech firm Palantir is "hosting a lavish party for the Ministry of Defence to celebrate winning a government contract".
Palantir was - and still is - a client of Global Counsel, the lobbying firm founded by Lord Mandelson.
www.thetimes.com/uk/defence/a...
