The key facts

  • Sarah Helm, wife of national security adviser Jonathan Powell, wrote on X on 15 October: “God help us authors who support Palestine and Palestine Action”
  • The Metropolitan Police said on 17 October that the post “does not meet the criminal threshold” and no further action will be taken
  • Palestine Action was banned in July 2025; around 3,700 arrests, ~2,500 charged, with the case awaiting the Supreme Court

The Post and the Police Response

Sarah Helm — a writer and journalist who worked for the Sunday Times and the Independent, and the wife of the government's national security adviser Jonathan Powell — wrote on X on 15 October: “God help us authors who support Palestine and Palestine Action.” She was responding to a Sky News discussion involving the writer Sally Rooney, whose novels will stop being supplied to British booksellers after her statement of her intention to direct royalties in support of Palestine Action. The Metropolitan Police said the post was being examined by specialists to determine whether an investigation was necessary. On 17 October the police stated that the post “does not meet the criminal threshold” and no further action will be taken.

Reaction of the Authorities and Politicians

A Downing Street spokesperson stressed that Helm is “an individual who does not represent the government in any capacity.” Reform UK MP Danny Kruger sent a letter to the Prime Minister expressing concern about the post. Campaign Against Antisemitism called the post “stunning” and urged Powell to publicly condemn these remarks in order to keep his post. Green Party leader Zack Polanski, by contrast, said Helm was “talking absolute common sense” and deserves praise for her courage, and called for the ban on Palestine Action to be lifted immediately, describing its designation as terrorists as “absurd and authoritarian.”

Context of the Palestine Action Ban

Palestine Action describes itself as a “direct action” movement using “disruptive tactics.” Earlier this year, four activists of the group were sentenced to prison terms for causing £1.2 million of damage at a British site of an Israeli defence company. In July 2025 the government added the group to the list of terrorist organisations: membership and support are punishable by up to 14 years' imprisonment. The ban sparked a wave of protests: according to the BBC, around 3,700 people were arrested for publicly supporting the group, roughly 2,500 have been charged, but the cases have not yet reached court — the Supreme Court will consider a legal challenge to the ban next month.

Actions Around Sally Rooney

Rooney stated that she would donate the income from her books to the group, whose stated goal is “ending global participation in the genocidal and apartheid regime of Israel.” As a result, her publisher Faber deemed it impossible to sell her novels, including “Normal People” and “Conversations with Friends,” in the UK. Jonathan Powell began his career as a diplomat, served as an adviser in Tony Blair's government, where he is credited with the negotiations on the Northern Ireland peace settlement; in 2024 Keir Starmer appointed him national security adviser, and he retained the post under Prime Minister Andy Burnham.

Jonathan Powell outside 10 Downing Street wearing a suit and tie.Image source, Getty Images
Image caption,

Jonathan Powell is the government's national security adviser

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