The key facts
- Alicia Kearns wrote to the prime minister, questioning whether Jonathan Powell's position remains tenable
- Sarah Helm's post on X: “God help us authors who support Palestine and Palestine Action” — against the backdrop of Sally Rooney's statement of support for the group
- The Metropolitan Police concluded the post “does not reach the criminal threshold”; the matter was closed on Saturday
MP questions national security adviser's status
Conservative MP Alicia Kearns, who serves as shadow home secretary, expressed doubts about whether the prime minister's national security adviser Jonathan Powell can remain in his post. The reason was mentions of the banned organisation Palestine Action in social media posts by his wife, the writer Sarah Helm. According to the BBC, Kearns sent a letter to the prime minister asking whether Powell's position remains tenable — despite the fact that the Metropolitan Police had previously concluded that no action was required in connection with Helm's comments.
The substance of the post and the context
On Thursday, on the platform X, Helm wrote: “God help us authors who support Palestine and Palestine Action,” responding to a discussion involving the writer Sally Rooney. The author of the novel “Normal People” had announced a week earlier that her books would not be supplied to British booksellers, as she intends to direct her royalties to supporting Palestine Action.
The position of the police and Downing Street
The Metropolitan Police review concluded that Helm's post “does not reach the criminal threshold,” and the matter was closed on Saturday. A Downing Street spokesperson told the BBC: “These views belong to a private individual who does not represent the government in any capacity.”
Questions about handling sensitive information
According to the BBC, Kearns also sent a letter to Andy Burnham regarding the handling of sensitive national security information, asking whether the government had investigated the publications and whether it retains full confidence in its adviser. The MP herself told the BBC: “We cannot allow the wife of the national security adviser to tweet about what decisions her husband has or has not made.”
The legal background around Palestine Action
Palestine Action was added to the list of banned terrorist organisations last year: membership in the group or support for it is a criminal offence punishable by up to 14 years' imprisonment. An appeal against the ban will be heard by the Supreme Court next month; the dispute over this has been going on for more than a year. Earlier, the Court of Appeal upheld the ban as lawful (15 June), and activists of the group were sentenced to imprisonment for a raid on a factory (13 June).
Image source, BBC/Dancing Ledge Productions Ltd Shadow Home Affairs Minister Alicia Kearns has written to the prime minister
