The Metropolitan Police have stated that they will take no further action against Sarah Helm, the wife of Jonathan Powell, the government’s national security adviser, following her post. The police stated on Saturday that the post had been ‘assessed by specialist officers and found not to cross the criminal threshold’, adding: ‘No further police action will be taken.’
Helm, a journalist and author, posted on X on Thursday: ‘God help us authors who support Palestine and Palestine Action.’ The post was a response to a discussion about Sally Rooney. The police were notified of the post on Thursday, 15 October, and stated on Friday that they were ‘in the process of assessing whether further police investigation is required’. It is understood that there was insufficient evidence to suggest the post could be seen as encouraging support for the proscribed organisation.
Palestine Action was proscribed as a terrorist organisation in July 2025. Support for the group is a criminal offence punishable by up to 14 years in prison. The organisation states its aim is ‘to end the global complicity in the Israeli genocide and apartheid regime’.
Sally Rooney, author of the novels Normal People and Conversations with Friends, has announced that she intends to use her royalties to support the proscribed organisation Palestine Action. She stated that she can no longer sell her books in the United Kingdom due to her support for Palestine Action. Her publisher, Faber, has decided that her novels cannot be sold in the United Kingdom.
Downing Street has distanced itself from Helm’s statements. A government spokesperson said: ‘These views are held by an individual and do not in any way represent the government.’ Campaign Against Antisemitism (CAA) called for the police to investigate the matter. CAA acknowledged that ‘spouses have the right to hold independent views’, but stated that Helm’s post ‘raises serious questions about Jonathan Powell and the government’. In a statement, they added: ‘It is clear that the police need to investigate, and Sarah Helm must face the full force of the law, as do others who appear to be expressing support for any proscribed terrorist organisation.’
