UK police rule out investigation into Sarah Helm’s Palestine Action post
publishers 13articles 18first reported 16 Oct, 17:03 UTCdeveloping since 16 Oct · 7 editions
UK police will not investigate author and journalist Sarah Helm over a social media post in which she appeared to express support for the proscribed group Palestine Action.
The Metropolitan Police said on Saturday that officers had assessed Helm’s post and determined that it “did not meet the criminal threshold”. No further police action will be taken. Police had said a day earlier that they were reviewing the comment to decide whether an investigation was required.
Helm, who is married to UK national security adviser Jonathan Powell, wrote on X: “God help us authors who support Palestine and Palestine Action.” Her comment came in response to discussion of Irish novelist Sally Rooney, who has pledged royalties from her books to the group.
Rooney’s publisher, Faber, said current UK law prevented it from passing her UK earnings to her and that, with her agreement, it would stop supplying her works in the country while continuing sales elsewhere.
After Helm’s post drew criticism, a government spokesperson said her views were those of an individual who did not represent the government in any capacity.
Palestine Action has been banned in the UK as a terrorist organisation since July 2025. Supporting a proscribed organisation can carry a prison sentence of up to 14 years. Amnesty International says more than 3,500 people have been arrested for alleged support of the group since the ban took effect. The Court of Appeal upheld the proscription in June.
HOW THIS STORY WAS MADE
Written from 5 articles, 3 with the publisher's own text; 4 independent newsrooms once syndicated copies count as one; this version written 32 h after the record first saw the story; the editor kept it as written.
- Publishers
- 13
- Source articles
- 18
- Given to the writer
- 5, 3 with the article's own text
- Independent newsrooms
- 4
- This version written
- 32 h after the record first saw the story
- Second model (editor)
- kept as written
- Publication gate
- passed
- Human review
- none
WHAT THE EDITOR DID
The second model checked the writer's draft against the same sources and published it as written.
Written by a language model from the sources above, then checked by a second model that may only cut, attribute or correct. How it works →