UK police drop probe into security adviser’s wife over banned group post

Metropolitan Police decision

London’s Metropolitan Police announced on Saturday that no further action would be taken against Sarah Helm, wife of UK National Security Adviser Jonathan Powell, over a social media post referencing the banned group Palestine Action. The post was "assessed by specialist officers and it was determined that it did not meet the criminal threshold," the BBC reported.

The announcement came one day after the force confirmed it was reviewing the content to establish whether an offense had been committed under terrorism legislation. Police had launched the preliminary assessment following public scrutiny of the message published on the platform X.

Social media post

Helm wrote on Thursday: "God help us authors who support Palestine and Palestine Action." The comment appeared in a thread discussing Irish author Sally Rooney, whose publisher recently ceased distribution of her novels in the United Kingdom after she pledged to donate royalties to the proscribed organization.

The post immediately attracted attention given Helm’s marriage to Powell, who occupies one of the most sensitive security positions in the British government. Expressing support for Palestine Action can carry a prison sentence of up to 14 years under UK counter-terrorism laws.

Publisher response

Palestine Action was added to the UK’s list of proscribed terrorist organizations in July 2025. Faber, Rooney’s publishing house, determined that it could not continue supplying her works — including "Normal People" and "Conversations with Friends" — to British booksellers following the author’s public declaration of financial support for the banned organization.

The publisher’s decision reflects the legal risks associated with distributing material linked to individuals supporting proscribed groups under UK counter-terrorism legislation. The July 2025 proscription carries penalties of up to 14 years imprisonment for expressions of support.