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The wife of Britain’s National Security Adviser, Jonathan Powell, has appeared to express support for proscribed terror group Palestine Action.
Sarah Helm made the remarks in a post on X on Thursday, responding to reports that Irish novelist Sally Rooney and her publisher Faber have removed her books from sale in the UK after Rooney pledged to donate her book royalties to the direct-action terror group.
Helm wrote: “God help us authors who support Palestine and Palestine Action. Sounds like Adam [Boulton] would have all our books swept off the shelves in a jiffy.”
Powell, a former chief of staff to Tony Blair, serves as Prime Minister Andy Burnham’s National Security Adviser, one of the most senior positions in Britain’s security establishment.
He has also played a significant role in British diplomacy in the Middle East, making his wife’s apparent endorsement of the banned organisation particularly sensitive.
Campaign Against Antisemitism called for police to investigate Helm’s comments and demanded that Powell publicly distance himself from her remarks.
A spokesperson said: “This is gobsmacking. Clearly, the police need to investigate and Sarah Helm must face the full force of the law, just like others who appear to express support for any proscribed terrorist organisation. But this raises extremely serious questions for Jonathan Powell and the Government.
“Spouses are entitled to independent views, but plainly Mr Powell, who leads on our country’s national security and has been intricately involved in our Middle East diplomacy, must publicly denounce this rhetoric if he is to continue in post.”
Rooney, the author of Normal People and Conversations with Friends, has publicly expressed support for the group, which was banned by the Government in July 2025 following a series of direct-action protests targeting companies and facilities linked to Israel’s defence industry.
Under Section 12 of the Terrorism Act 2000, expressing an opinion or belief supportive of a proscribed organisation can constitute an offence where the person is reckless as to whether their words will encourage others to support it. Whether Helm’s post meets that threshold would be a matter for police and prosecutors to determine.
In August 2024, Palestine Action activist Samuel Corner fractured a female police officer’s back with a sledgehammer during a raid at Elbit Systems UK, an Israel-linked defence firm near Bristol.
Helm is an established journalist and author whose work has included extensive reporting on the Middle East.
Her remarks appear to go beyond expressing solidarity with Palestinians by explicitly naming Palestine Action alongside the Palestinian cause.
There is no suggestion that Powell shares his wife’s views or had any involvement in her post.
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