Britainupdated 1h ago2 min read
Metropolitan Police Rule Out Criminal Probe Into Sarah Helm’s Palestine Action X Post
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Metropolitan Police ruled Sarah Helm's post did not merit a criminal investigation. Post referenced Palestine Action, a banned organisation, prompting police scrutiny.
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No criminal threshold met
Metropolitan Police ruled out a criminal investigation into a social media post by Sarah Helm, the wife of Jonathan Powell, Andy Burnham’s national security adviser, after specialist officers reviewed her X post.
The Metropolitan Police spokesperson said the post “did not meet the criminal threshold. No further police action will be taken.”
Sarah Helm posted on X on Thursday “God help us authors who support Palestine and Palestine Action,” and the post drew scrutiny after publisher Faber said it could no longer supply Sally Rooney’s books in the UK.
Downing Street distanced itself from Helm’s remarks by saying her views did “not represent the government in any capacity.”
Scrutiny, then clearance
The Metropolitan Police had previously told AFP on Friday that it was carrying out an initial assessment of Sarah Helm’s post to see if it needed further investigation. The Metropolitan Police later said on Saturday that specialist officers had looked at the post and ruled it “did not meet the criminal threshold” and “no further police action will be taken.”
The Campaign Against Antisemitism responded on X that Helm’s post was “gobsmacking” and “clearly, the police need to investigate and Ms Helm must face the full force of the law.” Green Party leader Zack Polanski defended Sarah Helm by saying she “should be commended for her bravery,” and he urged the government to immediately lift the ban on Palestine Action.
Ban, arrests, and court
The UK government proscribed Palestine Action as a “terrorist” organisation in 2025, and the ban made membership of or support for the group a criminal offence punishable by up to 14 years in prison. Amnesty International said more than 3,500 people have been arrested in the UK for allegedly supporting Palestine Action since it was banned last year, many of them for holding up placards.
Palestine Action challenged the government’s decision to ban the group, and the Court of Appeal ruled in June that the proscription was lawful. The Supreme Court is due to hear the challenge next month, as the police decision left Sarah Helm’s post without further action despite the ongoing legal fight over the ban.