Cambridge Analytica held meetings with SNP, former employee claims

Controversial data firm Cambridge Analytica held a number of meetings with the SNP, a former employee has claimed.

Brittany Kaiser, who was the firm's business development director, said it had not done work for the political party but there had been “pitches and negotiations” at meetings in London and Edinburgh.

The SNP denied the claim and said talks were held once through an external consultant who deemed the company to be a “bunch of cowboys”.

Cambridge Analytica has come under fire over the use of Facebook users' personal data in Donald Trump's race for the US presidency.

Ms Kaiser made the comments on Tuesday while giving evidence to the Digital, Culture, Media and Sport select committee's inquiry into so called ‘fake news’.

During questioning from SNP MP Brendan O'Hara, Ms Kaiser said: “I do know that we have been in pitches and negotiations with UK parties in the past, such as the SNP.

“I believe that there were meetings that took place in London where individuals came down from Edinburgh to visit us in our Mayfair headquarters and that further meetings were undertaken in Edinburgh near the parliament.”

Ms Kaiser, who left the firm in March, added she did not know who was in the meetings but could “probably look through some old emails” and find names.

In a statement released later, an SNP spokesman said: “The SNP has never worked with Cambridge Analytica.

“An external consultant had one meeting in London. His assessment was that they were 'a bunch of cowboys', which turned out to be true.

“No further meetings were held."

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• snp
• westminster