The Metropolitan Police announced that it will not pursue any further action against Sarah Helm, the wife of Jonathan Powell, the government’s national security adviser, after her recent X post referencing Palestine Action.
Helm, who is married to Powell, wrote on Thursday: “God help us authors who support Palestine and Palestine Action.” The comment was made in response to a discussion about author Sally Rooney, whose novels will not be supplied to booksellers in the UK following Rooney’s announcement that she intends to use her royalties to support the proscribed organisation.
On Saturday, the Met Police said Helm’s post had been “assessed by specialist officers and it was determined that it did not meet the criminal threshold.” The force added, “No further police action will be taken.”
Earlier, on Friday, the Met had stated it was “in the process of being assessed to determine whether any further police investigation may be required” after it was “made aware of an X post on Thursday, 15 October referencing Palestine Action.”
Palestine Action was proscribed as a terrorist organisation in July 2025. Support of the group is a criminal offence punishable by up to 14 years in prison. Best‑selling author Rooney said she would donate earnings from her books to the group, which aims to “end global participation in Israel’s genocidal and apartheid regime.” As a result, Rooney’s publisher, Faber, has decided it cannot sell her novels, including Normal People and Conversations with Friends, in the UK.
With the police decision, the case remains closed, and no further legal steps are expected. The incident highlights the sensitivity surrounding social media posts that reference proscribed organisations and the scrutiny faced by public figures and their associates.
