UK Security Adviser Under Pressure Over Wife's Proscribed Group Support
National Security Adviser Jonathan Powell faces calls to resign after his wife, author Sarah Helm, posted support for the proscribed group Palestine Action.
UK National Security Adviser Jonathan Powell is facing intense political pressure after his wife, author Sarah Helm, posted a message on X supporting Palestine Action, a proscribed terrorist organization. Helm's comments were made in defense of novelist Sally Rooney, who withdrew her books from the UK market after pledging sales proceeds to the group.
The Metropolitan Police are currently assessing Helm's post to determine if a criminal investigation is necessary. Under UK law, supporting a proscribed organization can carry a prison sentence of up to 14 years. Downing Street has distanced itself from the author, stating her views do not represent the government.
Stakeholder reactions have been sharply divided. The Campaign Against Antisemitism has demanded that Helm face the full force of the law and called for Powell to publicly denounce the rhetoric to remain in his post. Conversely, the free speech group Defend Our Juries praised Helm's defiance of the ban, describing the current legal environment as an unsustainable attack on free speech.
