Met Police rules pro-Palestine Action post by Sarah Helm not criminal

London’s Metropolitan Police has said it will take no action over a social media post by the wife of the UK prime minister’s national security adviser after she was accused of expressing support for Palestine Action, the direct action group banned under British terrorism law. Sarah Helm, a prominent journalist and author married to Andy Burnham's national security adviser, Jonathan Powell, appeared to express support for the group on X on Thursday. The Met said Helm's post was not criminal. It stated: “The post was assessed by specialist officers and it was determined that it did not meet the criminal threshold. No further police action will be taken.” Helm was responding to broadcaster Adam Boulton, who on Thursday criticised Sally Rooney, the best-selling Irish novelist whose books are being withdrawn from the UK market over her support for Palestine Action. Boulton criticised Rooney on Sky News and accused her of taking a "very strong pro-Palestine, and, I have to say, anti-Israel and anti-Jewish stance". New MEE newsletter: Jerusalem Dispatch Sign up to get the latest insights and analysis on Israel-Palestine, alongside Turkey Unpacked and other MEE newsletters In response, Helm posted: "God help us authors who support Palestine and Palestine Action. Sounds like Adam would have all our books swept off the shelves in a jiffy." Sally Rooney's books to be withdrawn from sale in UK over Palestine Action support Read More » The ban on Palestine Action has been condemned by UN officials and rights groups for censoring free speech but pro-Israel organisations have been enthusiastic supporters. The Campaign Against Antisemitism, a group that has been accused of targeting critics of Israel, had called on the police to investigate Helm and make her "face the full force of the law". According to Amnesty International, more than 3,500 people have been arrested for their alleged support of Palestine Action, with more than 2,250 people charged. Many of those arrested have been pensioners. As of March 2026, the average age of a UK terror suspect was 30, but for terror suspects linked to Palestine Action, the average age was 59. White suspects are also over represented in arrests linked to Palestine Action. With 97 percent of those arrested for ties to the group being white, compared with 52 percent for other proscribed groups. Helm’s post came following a statement from publisher Faber that UK legislation meant it could not pass on British earnings to Rooney, and that it would therefore stop supplying her books in the UK in any format. Rooney has pledged to use proceeds from her book sales to support Palestine Action. The Irish author said the decision had been made “with my full agreement”. Faber later said that copies already held by retailers would not be removed from sale. Huda Ammori, Palestine Action’s co-founder, told the Guardian that Rooney’s inability to publish in the UK marked “a new low” in what she called an escalating assault on free speech. Downing Street distanced itself from Helm's remarks on Friday. “These views are held by an individual who does not represent the government in any capacity,” a government spokesperson said. Powell, a civil servant, was chief of staff to former prime minister Tony Blair and served as national security adviser under Keir Starmer before continuing in the role under Prime Minister Andy Burnham. Mass arrests Palestine Action was proscribed under the Terrorism Act 2000 in July 2025, after activists broke into RAF Brize Norton in Oxfordshire to protest against British military support for Israel’s genocide in Gaza. The ban made membership of or support for the group a criminal offence punishable by up to 14 years in prison. UK MP John McDonnell raises 'alarm' about arrest of journalists at Palestine Action protest Read More » According to Amnesty International, more than 3,500 people have been arrested in Britain for alleged support of Palestine Action since the ban, many of them for holding placards. The group denies that its actions, which have included vandalism, amount to terrorism. Four of its members were jailed in June over a 2024 raid on an Elbit factory that caused more than £1m of damage. In February, the High Court ruled that the proscription was an unlawful interference with freedom of expression and assembly under the European Convention on Human Rights. The Court of Appeal overturned that decision on 15 June 2026. Ammori told MEE at the time that the ruling was “political”. In July, the Supreme Court granted Ammori permission to appeal on whether the home secretary had applied her policy appropriately, but refused permission on human rights grounds. The appeal is due to be heard on 4 and 5 November of this year.