MP urges lifting Palestine Action ban after Sally Rooney UK book sales halt

British Member of Parliament Ian Byrne has called on the government to de-proscribe Palestine Action, after Irish novelist Sally Rooney said she can no longer sell her books in the UK due to support for the pro-Palestine group. Byrne wrote on X that when he voted against the proscription of Palestine Action, he and many others "warned of the draconian consequences it would bring". He said that since then, thousands have been arrested and criminalised "simply for holding a sign". Byrne added: "Now this injustice against one of the finest writers of her generation. "An utterly disgraceful attack on freedom of expression. This ban must be overturned." Rooney's publisher Faber said on Wednesday that she can no longer sell her books in the UK because of her support for Palestine Action. Rooney has previously expressed her support for the group, which was banned as a "terrorist" organisation by the UK government in July 2025. It is not banned in Ireland, where Rooney lives. When I voted against the proscription of Palestine Action, I and many others warned of the draconian consequences it would bring. Since then, we’ve seen thousands arrested and criminalised simply for holding a sign. And now this injustice against one of the finest writers of her generation. An utterly disgraceful attack on freedom of expression. This ban must be overturned. — lan Byrne MP (@IanByrneMP) October 14, 2026