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Police are assessing a social media post by the wife of the government’s national security adviser Jonathan Powell which referenced Palestine Action, a group labelled a terrorist organisation by the Home Office.<\/b><\/p>\n
Sarah Helm wrote on the social media site X: “God help us authors who support Palestine and Palestine Action.”<\/p>\n
She was responding to a discussion on Sky News about the author Sally Rooney, whose novels will not be supplied to booksellers in the UK following her announcement that she intends to use her royalties to support Palestine Action.<\/p>\n
A No 10 spokeswoman said Helm was “an individual who does not represent the government in any capacity”. The BBC has attempted to contact Helm for comment.<\/p>\n
On Friday, a Metropolitan Police spokesperson said: “We have been made aware of an X post on Thursday, 15 October referencing Palestine Action. <\/p>\n
“It is in the process of being assessed to determine whether any further police investigation may be required.”<\/p>\n
Reform UK MP Danny Kruger has written to the prime minister raising concerns about Helm’s post.<\/p>\n
The Campaign Against Antisemitism said the post was “gobsmacking”.<\/p>\n
“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,” the group said.<\/p>\n
However, Green Party leader Zack Polanski said: “Sarah Helm is speaking absolute common sense and should be commended for her bravery.”<\/p>\n
He called for Palestine Action to be de-proscribed “immediately”, calling its official labelling as a terror group “ludicrous and authoritarian”.<\/p>\n
Helm is an author and journalist, who has previously worked at the Sunday Times and as a foreign correspondent for the Independent.<\/p>\n
Palestine Action describes itself as a “direct action movement” that uses “disruptive tactics”. <\/p>\n