Police review social media post by national security adviser’s spouse referencing proscribed group

Metropolitan Police said they are examining a post on X made on 15 October by Sarah Helm, the wife of national security adviser Jonathan Powell, which referenced Palestine Action, a group proscribed as a terrorist organisation by the Home Office. The police said the post is being assessed to determine whether further investigation is needed.

A spokesperson for No 10 clarified that Helm is "an individual who does not represent the government in any capacity". The BBC has sought comment from Helm but has not received a response.

The post was made in response to a Sky News discussion about author Sally Rooney, whose books will not be supplied in the UK after she announced plans to use her royalties to support Palestine Action.

The group representing the adviser’s office said Mr Powell, who leads on national security and Middle East diplomacy, "must publicly denounce this rhetoric if he is to continue in post".

Green Party leader Zack Polanski praised Helm’s comments as "absolute common sense" and called for the immediate de-proscription of Palestine Action, describing its current terrorist label as "ludicrous and authoritarian".

Helm, an author and journalist with previous roles at the Sunday Times and as a foreign correspondent for the Independent, has not commented publicly.

Palestine Action was proscribed in 2025, making membership or support a criminal offence punishable by up to 14 years in prison. The proscription led to widespread protests, resulting in an estimated 3,700 arrests and about 2,500 charges, with a legal challenge to the ban scheduled for the Supreme Court next month.