UK PM adviser’s wife expresses ‘support’ for Palestine Action
Police reviewing social media post by writer Sarah Helm, wife of Burnham's National Security Adviser Jonathan Powell.
Sarah Helm, the wife of the British prime minister's national security adviser Jonathan Powell, has come to the defense of bestselling author Sally Rooney. Rooney's books are facing withdrawal from the UK market after she expressed support for Palestine Action, a group banned by the UK government in July 2025. The ban makes expressing support for the organization a criminal offense, punishable by up to 14 years in prison.
Helen's post on X reads, "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." Powell, who was a senior official under Tony Blair's premiership, has previously opposed the sanctioning of Israeli settlements by Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband. Pro-Israel groups are now calling for a police investigation into Rooney's case.
Rooney, a former foreign correspondent for The Independent, has faced criticism for her stance on Palestine Action.
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- Wife of top Burnham adviser backs Sally Rooney after books withdrawn over Palestine Action support middleeasteye.net
- Sally Rooney's books no longer sold in UK over support for banned pro-Palestinian group france24.com
- Sally Rooney's books will no longer be sold in UK after Palestinian Action support npr.org
- Sally Rooney can’t sell her books in UK over support for Palestine Action aljazeera.com
