UK police rule out probe into Palestine Action post by PM adviser’s wife

What the report says

UK police have decided not to open a criminal probe into a social media post by Sarah Helm, the wife of Prime Minister Andy Burnham’s national security adviser, after she appeared to express support for the banned group Palestine Action. The Metropolitan Police said on Saturday that the X post did not meet the threshold for criminal action and that no further steps would be taken. On Friday, officers had said the message was still under assessment.

Helm, who is an author and journalist and is married to adviser Jonathan Powell, wrote the post on Thursday in response to controversy over publisher Faber’s handling of Irish writer Sally Rooney’s work. Faber had said it could no longer supply Rooney’s books in the UK after she said she would use royalties to support Palestine Action. Helm’s post was later criticized by the Campaign Against Antisemitism, which urged police action.

A government spokesperson said Helm’s remarks did not represent the government. Palestine Action was proscribed in the UK in July 2025 after a parliamentary vote. As background, proscription makes it a criminal offense in Britain to show support for the group in certain circumstances, which has led to many arrests, according to Amnesty International. The group has challenged the ban, but the Court of Appeal upheld it in June, according to the Al Jazeera report.