Police assess social-media post by adviser’s wife that praised proscribed group
Metropolitan Police are reviewing a post by Sarah Helm, wife of National Security Adviser Jonathan Powell, after she appeared to endorse the banned group Palestine Action, while officials say she does not represent the government.
British police are examining a social-media message posted on X by Sarah Helm, a writer married to Jonathan Powell, the national security adviser to Prime Minister Andy Burnham. In the post, Helm appeared to express support for Palestine Action, a group that the United Kingdom designated as a terrorist organisation in July 2025.
"God help us authors who support Palestine and Palestine Action," Helm wrote on Thursday.
The post was a response to comments defending Irish novelist Sally Rooney, who announced that her books would no longer be sold in the United Kingdom because she intends to donate royalties to Palestine Action.
A Metropolitan Police spokesperson said the message is “being assessed to determine whether any further police investigation may be required.” A government spokesperson cited by Reuters added that the views expressed “are held by an individual who does not represent the government in any capacity.”
Defend Our Juries, a UK activist group, defended Helm, describing the ban on Palestine Action as “absurdly authoritarian.”
"We know of 36 people who have been arrested and had their homes raided for similarly expressing support for Palestine Action on social media," a spokesperson said. "We hope Sarah will not face the same treatment for standing up for free speech and Palestinian lives."
The Foreign Secretary, Ed Miliband, said the government is reviewing the ban but does not intend for mass arrests to occur.
"The government is looking at the Palestine Action ban, and I do not believe mass arrests resulting from its proscription are anyone’s intent," Miliband said.
Palestine Action was proscribed after members broke into a Royal Air Force base and sprayed red paint on aircraft to protest UK military support for the conflict in Gaza. Membership or support for the group carries a maximum sentence of 14 years. Rights group Amnesty International reports that more than 3,500 people have been arrested since the ban was introduced, many for displaying placards. The Court of Appeal upheld the proscription in June.