UK national security adviser under pressure over wife’s comment on supporting Palestine Action | Palestine Action | The Guardian  (uk-national-security-adviser-jonathan-powell-sarah-helm-sally-rooney-palestine-action.html)   (../../../../../assets.guim.co.uk/static/frontend/manifest.json)  (https://assets.guim.co.uk/static/frontend/icons/homescreen/apple-touch-icon.svg) (https://assets.guim.co.uk/static/frontend/icons/homescreen/apple-touch-icon-512.png) (https://assets.guim.co.uk/static/frontend/icons/homescreen/apple-touch-icon-360.png) (https://assets.guim.co.uk/static/frontend/icons/homescreen/apple-touch-icon-240.png) (https://assets.guim.co.uk/static/frontend/icons/homescreen/apple-touch-icon-120.png) (../../../../../static.guim.co.uk/images/favicon-32x32.ico) (https://assets.guim.co.uk/) (https://i.guim.co.uk) (https://j.ophan.co.uk) (https://ophan.theguardian.com) (https://sourcepoint.theguardian.com) (https://assets.guim.co.uk/) (https://i.guim.co.uk) (https://j.ophan.co.uk) (https://ophan.theguardian.com) (https://api.nextgen.guardianapps.co.uk) (https://hits-secure.theguardian.com) (https://interactive.guim.co.uk) (https://static.theguardian.com) (https://support.theguardian.com) (https://assets.guim.co.uk/static/frontend/fonts/guardian-headline/noalts-not-hinted/GHGuardianHeadline-Bold.woff2) (https://assets.guim.co.uk/static/frontend/fonts/guardian-textegyptian/noalts-not-hinted/GuardianTextEgyptian-Regular.woff2)                                  (../../../../../assets.guim.co.uk/static/frontend/css/print.css)  (uk-national-security-adviser-jonathan-powell-sarah-helm-sally-rooney-palestine-action.html#maincontent) Skip to main content (uk-national-security-adviser-jonathan-powell-sarah-helm-sally-rooney-palestine-action.html#navigation) Skip to navigation (Close [ESC or Q])   Close dialogue  1 / 3   (Next image [→])   Next image  (Previous image [←])   Previous image  (Toggle caption [i])   Toggle caption                         (https://support.theguardian.com/subscribe/weekly?REFPVID=undefined&INTCMP=undefined&acquisitionData=%7B%22source%22%3A%22GUARDIAN_WEB%22%2C%22componentId%22%3A%22PrintSubscriptionsHeaderLink%22%2C%22componentType%22%3A%22ACQUISITIONS_HEADER%22%2C%22referrerUrl%22%3A%22%22%7D) Print subscriptions   (https://www.theguardian.com/email-newsletters) Newsletters   (https://profile.theguardian.com/signin?INTCMP=DOTCOM_NEWHEADER_SIGNIN&ABCMP=ab-sign-in&componentEventParams=componentType%3Didentityauthentication%26componentId%3Dguardian_signin_header)   Sign in        US  (https://www.theguardian.com/preference/edition/us) US edition  (https://www.theguardian.com/preference/edition/uk) UK edition  (https://www.theguardian.com/preference/edition/au) Australia edition  (https://www.theguardian.com/preference/edition/eur) Europe edition  (https://www.theguardian.com/preference/edition/int) International edition      (https://www.theguardian.com/) The Guardian - Back to home             The Guardian    (https://www.theguardian.com/) News  (https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree) Opinion  (https://www.theguardian.com/sport) Sport  (https://www.theguardian.com/culture) Culture  (https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle) Lifestyle    Show more    Hide expanded menu       News (https://www.theguardian.com/) View all News  (https://www.theguardian.com/us-news) US news  (https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/us-politics) US politics  (https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/us-midterm-elections-2026) Midterms 2026  (https://www.theguardian.com/world) World news  (https://www.theguardian.com/environment/climate-crisis) Climate crisis  (https://www.theguardian.com/world/middleeast) Middle East  (https://www.theguardian.com/world/ukraine) Ukraine  (https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/usimmigration) US immigration  (https://www.theguardian.com/us/soccer) Soccer  (https://www.theguardian.com/us/business) Business  (https://www.theguardian.com/us/environment) Environment  (https://www.theguardian.com/us/technology) Tech  (https://www.theguardian.com/science) Science  (https://www.theguardian.com/email-newsletters) Newsletters  (https://www.theguardian.com/thefilter-us) The Filter  (https://www.theguardian.com/us/wellness) Wellness      Opinion (https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree) View all Opinion  (https://www.theguardian.com/profile/editorial) The Guardian view  (https://www.theguardian.com/us/columnists) Columnists  (https://www.theguardian.com/tone/letters) Letters  (https://www.theguardian.com/type/video+tone/comment) Opinion videos  (https://www.theguardian.com/tone/cartoons) Cartoons      Sport (https://www.theguardian.com/sport) View all Sport  (https://www.theguardian.com/us/soccer) Soccer  (https://www.theguardian.com/sport/nfl) NFL  (https://www.theguardian.com/sport/tennis) Tennis  (https://www.theguardian.com/sport/mlb) MLB  (https://www.theguardian.com/football/mls) MLS  (https://www.theguardian.com/sport/nba) NBA  (https://www.theguardian.com/sport/wnba) WNBA  (https://www.theguardian.com/sport/nhl) NHL  (https://www.theguardian.com/sport/formulaone) F1  (https://www.theguardian.com/sport/golf) Golf      Culture (https://www.theguardian.com/culture) View all Culture  (https://www.theguardian.com/film) Film  (https://www.theguardian.com/books) Books  (https://www.theguardian.com/music) Music  (https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign) Art & design  (https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio) TV & radio  (https://www.theguardian.com/stage) Stage  (https://www.theguardian.com/music/classicalmusicandopera) Classical  (https://www.theguardian.com/games) Games  (https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/series/design-a-better-world) Design a better world      Lifestyle (https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle) View all Lifestyle  (https://www.theguardian.com/thefilter-us) The Filter  (https://www.theguardian.com/us/wellness) Wellness  (https://www.theguardian.com/fashion) Fashion  (https://www.theguardian.com/food) Food  (https://www.theguardian.com/tone/recipes) Recipes  (https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/love-and-sex) Love & sex  (https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/home-and-garden) Home & garden  (https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/health-and-wellbeing) Health & fitness  (https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/family) Family  (https://www.theguardian.com/travel) Travel  (https://www.theguardian.com/money) Money    Search input  (Search the Guardian)  google-search   Search       (www.theguardian.com)      (https://support.theguardian.com?acquisitionData=%7B%22source%22:%22GUARDIAN_WEB%22,%22componentType%22:%22ACQUISITIONS_HEADER%22,%22componentId%22:%22side_menu_support%22%7D&INTCMP=side_menu_support) Support us  (https://support.theguardian.com/subscribe/weekly?REFPVID=undefined&INTCMP=undefined&acquisitionData=%7B%22source%22%3A%22GUARDIAN_WEB%22%2C%22componentId%22%3A%22PrintSubscriptionsHeaderLink%22%2C%22componentType%22%3A%22ACQUISITIONS_HEADER%22%2C%22referrerUrl%22%3A%22%22%7D) Print subscriptions  (https://www.theguardian.com/email-newsletters) Newsletters  (https://app.adjust.com/1hskf6nd?adgroup=USHeader) Download the app   (https://jobs.theguardian.com) Search jobs  (https://theguardian.newspapers.com) Digital Archive  (https://licensing.theguardian.com/) Guardian Licensing  (https://www.theguardian.com/guardian-live-events?INTCMP=live_us_header_dropdown) Live events  (https://www.theguardian.com/about) About Us  (https://app.adjust.com/16xt6hai) The Guardian app  (https://www.theguardian.com/video) Video  (https://www.theguardian.com/podcasts) Podcasts  (https://www.theguardian.com/inpictures) Pictures  (https://www.theguardian.com/insidetheguardian) Inside the Guardian  (https://www.theguardian.com/weekly?INTCMP=gdnwb_mawns_editorial_gweekly_GW_TopNav_US) Guardian Weekly  (https://www.theguardian.com/crosswords) Crosswords  (https://www.wordiply.com) Wordiply  (https://www.theguardian.com/theguardian/series/corrections-and-clarifications) Corrections  (https://www.theguardian.com/tips) Tips    Search input  (Search the Guardian)  google-search   Search       (www.theguardian.com)   (https://jobs.theguardian.com) Search jobs  (https://theguardian.newspapers.com) Digital Archive  (https://licensing.theguardian.com/) Guardian Licensing  (https://www.theguardian.com/guardian-live-events?INTCMP=live_us_header_dropdown) Live events  (https://www.theguardian.com/about) About Us         (https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news) UK  (https://www.theguardian.com/politics) UK politics  (https://www.theguardian.com/education) Education  (https://www.theguardian.com/media) Media  (https://www.theguardian.com/society) Society  (https://www.theguardian.com/law) Law  (https://www.theguardian.com/uk/scotland) Scotland  (https://www.theguardian.com/uk/wales) Wales  (https://www.theguardian.com/uk/northernireland) Northern Ireland                      (Sarah Helm in 2015 when she was in her late 50s: she has long fair hair and wears a white flower-patterned dress. She sits at a wooden table in a white-painted room under skylights, with bookshelves in the background.)          The author Sarah Helm is a former Sunday Times journalist and diplomatic editor at the Independent, and spent many years covering the Middle East.  Photograph: Martin Argles/The Guardian     (uk-national-security-adviser-jonathan-powell-sarah-helm-sally-rooney-palestine-action.html#img-1)   View image in fullscreen       The author Sarah Helm is a former Sunday Times journalist and diplomatic editor at the Independent, and spent many years covering the Middle East.  Photograph: Martin Argles/The Guardian       (https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/palestine-action) Palestine Action     UK national security adviser under pressure over wife’s comment on supporting Palestine Action   Author Sarah Helm, married to Jonathan Powell, wrote to back novelist Sally Rooney’s support of proscribed direct action group         (https://www.theguardian.com/profile/robyn-vinter) Robyn Vinter and  (https://www.theguardian.com/profile/rachel-hall) Rachel Hall   Fri 16 Oct 2026 13.03 EDT  Last modified on Fri 16 Oct 2026 13.30 EDT   (mailto:?subject=UK national security adviser under pressure over wife’s comment on supporting Palestine Action&body=https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2026/oct/16/uk-national-security-adviser-jonathan-powell-sarah-helm-sally-rooney-palestine-action?CMP=share_btn_url) Share          (https://www.google.com/preferences/source?q=theguardian.com) Prefer the Guardian on Google          The UK’s national security adviser, Jonathan Powell, is under pressure to distance himself from a comment made by his wife, the award-winning writer (https://www.theguardian.com/profile/sarah-helm) Sarah Helm , in support of Palestine Action. The post was made in defence of the critically acclaimed Irish novelist Sally Rooney, who said she had been forced (https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2026/oct/14/sally-rooney-says-she-can-no-longer-sell-books-in-the-uk-because-of-palestine-action-support) to pull her books from shelves in the UK after pledging proceeds from their sales to Palestine Action.  Helm, a former Sunday Times journalist and diplomatic editor at the Independent who spent many years covering the Middle East, wrote on X indicating support for the direct action group, which was proscribed last year. Under terror laws, this could constitute a criminal offence, carrying a maximum penalty of 14 years in prison. The ban has so far resulted in more than 3,700 arrests for backing the group, with more than 2,250 people formally charged as terrorists. In response to comments by the broadcaster Adam Boulton that Rooney’s support for Palestine was “anti-Jewish”, Helm wrote: “God help us authors who support Palestine and (https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/palestine-action) Palestine Action . Sounds like Adam would have all our books swept off the shelves in a jiffy.” Police said the post was “in the process of being assessed” to determine whether an investigation was required. Downing Street distanced itself from Helm’s post on Friday, with a spokesperson saying: “These views are held by an individual who does not represent the government in any capacity.” Helm’s works include a book (https://www.theguardian.com/books/2015/apr/01/if-this-woman-ravensbruck-hitler-camp-sarah-helm-review) about the women imprisoned by the Nazis at the Ravensbrück concentration camp , and (https://www.theguardian.com/stage/2011/jul/12/iraq-war-loyalty-hampstead-theatre) Loyalty, a play about the Iraq war , inspired by her husband’s decade as the chief of staff to the then prime minister, Tony Blair. The author, who is writing a book about Gaza, married Powell in 2007. He was appointed in 2024 as a national security adviser under Keir Starmer.       (Powell outside Downing Street)   (uk-national-security-adviser-jonathan-powell-sarah-helm-sally-rooney-palestine-action.html#img-2)   View image in fullscreen       Jonathan Powell. Photograph: Leon Neal/Getty Images  According to government guidance, being married to a suspected or convicted terrorist would normally result in the revocation of security clearance. Under the vetting framework for a job as national security adviser, being married to someone tied to a proscribed terrorist organisation is viewed as creating an automatic, unmitigated national security risk. Responding to questions about Powell’s position after his wife’s comments, a government spokesperson said: “These views are held by an individual who does not represent the government in any capacity.” A spokesperson for Defend Our Juries, a free speech group which supports the right for people to protest peacefully, thanked Helm for “defying this absurdly authoritarian ban”. “How can Andy Burnham’s government possibly defend this ban (https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2026/oct/02/palestine-action-crowdfunder-supreme-court-challenge-blocked-us-sanctions) in the supreme court next month when his own national security adviser’s wife has openly defied it? This unprecedented attack on free speech in our country is plainly unsustainable,” they said. “We know of 36 people who have been arrested and had their homes raided for similarly expressing support for Palestine Action on social media. “We hope Sarah will not face the same treatment for standing up for free speech and Palestinian lives. But her defiance further exposes the absurdity of a ban that cannot be enforced against everyone who challenges it. There are simply too many of us who will continue to defy this unjust law until the government is forced to see sense and abandon it.” However, the Campaign Against Antisemitism called for Helm to “face the full force of the law”. (uk-national-security-adviser-jonathan-powell-sarah-helm-sally-rooney-palestine-action.html#EmailSignup-skip-link-16) skip past newsletter promotion     Free newsletter | Every day    Sign up to Headlines UK  Get the day’s headlines and highlights emailed direct to you every morning  ()   Enter your email  ()   Sign up      after newsletter promotion   A spokesperson said: “This is gobsmacking. Clearly, the police need to investigate and Sarah Helm must face the full force of the law, just like others who appear to express support for any proscribed terrorist organisation. “But this raises extremely serious questions for (https://www.theguardian.com/politics/jonathan-powell) Jonathan Powell and the government. Spouses are entitled to independent views, but plainly Mr Powell, who leads on our country’s national security and has been intricately involved in our Middle East diplomacy, must publicly denounce this rhetoric if he is to continue in post.” A Met Police spokesperson said: “We have been made aware of an X post on Thursday, 15 October referencing Palestine Action. It is in the process of being assessed to determine whether any further police investigation may be required.       (Sally Rooney stands in a white-painted, wooden panelled room near a window. She has straight, light brown collar-length hair and wears a pale green jumper and dark trousers. She is in her late 20s in this 2018 picture.)   (uk-national-security-adviser-jonathan-powell-sarah-helm-sally-rooney-palestine-action.html#img-3)   View image in fullscreen       Sally Rooney has been supported in her stance by an open letter signed by hundreds of writers.  Photograph: Kalpesh Lathigra/ Faber  Hundreds of writers have signed an open letter in support of Rooney, whose books include (https://www.theguardian.com/books/2018/aug/26/sally-rooney-normal-people-review-elegant-intelligent-tender) Normal People and (https://www.theguardian.com/books/2017/jun/01/conversations-with-friends-by-sally-rooney-review) Conversations With Friends , warning that “a country that bans its writers for speaking out is not a free country”. The letter has been signed by 419 novelists, poets, editors and illustrators including Ali Smith, Kamila Shamsie, Robert Macfarlane, Daisy Johnson, Eliza Clark, Jeanette Winterson, Alice Oseman, Derek Landy, Louise O’Neill, AM Dassu and Nikesh Shukla. The letter states: “As authors, illustrators, poets, and editors, we stand with (https://www.theguardian.com/books/sally-rooney) Sally Rooney and Faber Books, and condemn a government whose actions, and inactions, have led to her books being pulled from sale in the UK. “Writers already face book bans worldwide and at home. It is unconscionable that a government can now effectively ban a single author for protesting that government’s own conflation of protest with terrorism. What future governments might do with this power should frighten us all.” Rooney said she had made the decision to withdraw from the UK market with her publisher, Faber, after learning that passing earnings on to her for the sale of her books in the UK could constitute a serious criminal offence. In a letter shared with the Guardian, Rooney said she was “wholly prepared to accept the consequences”. Faber will continue to sell Rooney’s books in other countries.         Explore more on these topics (https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/palestine-action) Palestine Action  (https://www.theguardian.com/politics/jonathan-powell) Jonathan Powell  (https://www.theguardian.com/uk/uksecurity) UK security and counter-terrorism  (https://www.theguardian.com/books/sally-rooney) Sally Rooney  (https://www.theguardian.com/world/protest) Protest  (https://www.theguardian.com/world/freedom-of-speech) Freedom of speech  (https://www.theguardian.com/world/activism) Activism  (https://www.theguardian.com/tone/news) news    (mailto:?subject=UK national security adviser under pressure over wife’s comment on supporting Palestine Action&body=https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2026/oct/16/uk-national-security-adviser-jonathan-powell-sarah-helm-sally-rooney-palestine-action?CMP=share_btn_url) Share     (https://syndication.theguardian.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.theguardian.com%2Fuk-news%2F2026%2Foct%2F16%2Fuk-national-security-adviser-jonathan-powell-sarah-helm-sally-rooney-palestine-action&type=article&internalpagecode=uk-news/2026/oct/16/uk-national-security-adviser-jonathan-powell-sarah-helm-sally-rooney-palestine-action) (Reuse this content) Reuse this content                  More on this story                        More on this story                       (https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2026/aug/26/us-issues-sanctions-uk-based-palestine-action)    ()      US issues sanctions against UK-based direct action group Palestine Action   (Wednesday, August 26, 2026 at 01:45 PM Eastern Daylight Time) 26 Aug 2026           (https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2026/aug/21/palestine-action-barclays-five-will-not-be-sentenced-as-terrorists)    ()      Palestine Action ‘Barclays five’ will not be sentenced as terrorists   (Friday, August 21, 2026 at 10:30 AM Eastern Daylight Time) 21 Aug 2026           (https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2026/jul/30/supreme-court-says-palestine-action-co-founder-can-challenge-ban-on-group)    ()      Supreme court says Palestine Action co-founder can challenge ban on group   (Thursday, July 30, 2026 at 01:33 PM Eastern Daylight Time) 30 Jul 2026           (https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2026/jul/27/palestine-action-activists-face-being-sentenced-terrorists-damage-barclays-bank-burnley)    ()      Palestine Action activists face being sentenced as terrorists over bank damage   (Monday, July 27, 2026 at 04:13 AM Eastern Daylight Time) 27 Jul 2026           (https://www.theguardian.com/global/commentisfree/2026/jun/20/elbit-four-law-jurors-criminal-damage-terrorism)    ()      double quotation mark   You may not sympathise with the Elbit four’s methods. But you should be outraged by their treatment under the law   (Saturday, June 20, 2026 at 07:00 AM Eastern Daylight Time) 20 Jun 2026           (https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2026/jun/16/palestine-action-ban-will-be-overturned-groups-co-founder-vows)    ()      Palestine Action ban will be overturned, group’s co-founder vows    (Tuesday, June 16, 2026 at 08:00 AM Eastern Daylight Time) 16 Jun 2026           (https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2026/jun/15/ban-on-palestine-action-was-lawful-court-of-appeal-rules)    ()      Ban on Palestine Action was lawful, court of appeal rules   (Monday, June 15, 2026 at 02:08 PM Eastern Daylight Time) 15 Jun 2026           (https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2026/jun/15/arrested-protesters-devastated-appeal-court-rules-palestine-action-ban-lawful)    ()      Arrested protesters devastated after appeal court rules ban on Palestine Action is lawful   (Monday, June 15, 2026 at 11:36 AM Eastern Daylight Time) 15 Jun 2026           (https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2026/jun/12/palestine-action-activists-sentenced-terrorists-damage-elbit-systems-uk-israel)    ()      Pro-Palestine activists sentenced as terrorists over damage at Israeli arms factory in UK   (Friday, June 12, 2026 at 03:56 PM Eastern Daylight Time) 12 Jun 2026           (https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2026/jun/10/four-palestine-action-protesters-terrorists-constitutional-threat)    ()      Sentencing Palestine Action protesters as terrorists would be ‘constitutional threat’, says lawyer   (Wednesday, June 10, 2026 at 07:58 AM Eastern Daylight Time) 10 Jun 2026                        Most viewed      Most viewed                                                               (https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news) UK  (https://www.theguardian.com/politics) UK politics  (https://www.theguardian.com/education) Education  (https://www.theguardian.com/media) Media  (https://www.theguardian.com/society) Society  (https://www.theguardian.com/law) Law  (https://www.theguardian.com/uk/scotland) Scotland  (https://www.theguardian.com/uk/wales) Wales  (https://www.theguardian.com/uk/northernireland) Northern Ireland       (https://www.theguardian.com/) News  (https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree) Opinion  (https://www.theguardian.com/sport) Sport  (https://www.theguardian.com/culture) Culture  (https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle) Lifestyle    Original reporting and incisive analysis, direct from the Guardian every morning (https://www.theguardian.com/info/2018/sep/17/guardian-us-morning-briefing-sign-up-to-stay-informed) Sign up for our email     (https://www.theguardian.com/info/about-guardian-us) About us  (https://manage.theguardian.com/help-centre) Help  (https://www.theguardian.com/info/complaints-and-corrections) Complaints & corrections  (https://www.theguardian.com/info/about-guardian-us/contact) Contact us  (https://www.theguardian.com/tips) Tip us off  (https://www.theguardian.com/securedrop) SecureDrop  (https://www.theguardian.com/info/privacy) Privacy policy  (https://www.theguardian.com/info/cookies) Cookie policy  (https://uploads.guim.co.uk/2026/07/22/STL_Global_Tax_Strategy_for_the_year_to_31_March_2027.pdf) Tax strategy  (https://www.theguardian.com/help/terms-of-service) Terms & conditions   (https://www.theguardian.com/index/subjects/a) All topics  (https://www.theguardian.com/index/contributors) All writers  (https://www.theguardian.com/email-newsletters?INTCMP=DOTCOM_FOOTER_NEWSLETTER_US) Newsletters  (https://theguardian.newspapers.com) Digital newspaper archive  (https://bsky.app/profile/us.theguardian.com) Bluesky  (https://www.facebook.com/theguardian) Facebook  (https://www.instagram.com/guardian) Instagram  (https://www.linkedin.com/company/theguardian) LinkedIn  (https://www.threads.com/@guardian_us) Threads  (https://www.tiktok.com/@guardian) TikTok  (https://www.youtube.com/user/TheGuardian) YouTube   (https://usadvertising.theguardian.com) Advertise with us  (https://www.theguardian.com/guardian-labs-us) Guardian Labs  (https://jobs.theguardian.com) Search jobs  (https://workwithus.theguardian.com/) Work with us  (https://www.theguardian.com/help/accessibility-help) Accessibility settings         (uk-national-security-adviser-jonathan-powell-sarah-helm-sally-rooney-palestine-action.html#top) Back to top      © 2026Guardian News & Media Limited or its affiliated companies. All rights reserved.(dcr)