National Security Adviser's Wife Backs Proscribed Group
Downing Street distances itself from Sarah Helm's support for Palestine Action amid legal scrutiny and wider arrests.
Sarah Connor
Sarah Helm, wife of national security adviser Jonathan Powell, expressed support for Palestine Action.
The government swiftly distanced itself from an author's social media post. A spokeswoman affirmed, "These views are held by an individual who does not represent the government in any capacity."
These views are held by an individual who does not represent the government in any capacity.
The author's comment, reportedly made in response to a discussion about Irish novelist Sally Rooney, could constitute a criminal offense under terror laws. Such an offense carries a maximum penalty of 14 years in prison.
Rooney stated she pulled her books from shelves in the UK after pledging proceeds from their sales to Palestine Action. The author declared herself as one of 'us authors who support Palestine and Palestine Action'.
This declaration comes as authorities arrested 36 people and raided their homes for similarly expressing support for Palestine Action on social media. The ban on Palestine Action has resulted in more than 3,700 arrests for backing the group.
Over 2,250 people face formal charges as terrorists. Hundreds of writers signed an open letter in support of Sally Rooney, warning that a country banning its writers for speaking out is not a free country.
a country banning its writers for speaking out is not a free country.
Jonathan Powell was appointed national security adviser in 2024 under Keir Starmer. The Israeli government closed the British consulate in East Jerusalem in response to UK sanctions and a trade ban on goods from West Bank settlements.