Sarah Helm, an award-winning author and former journalist who covered the Middle East for decades, wrote on X in support of Palestine Action, a direct action group proscribed under UK terror laws last year. Supporting a proscribed organisation can constitute a criminal offence carrying a maximum penalty of 14 years in prison.
Helm's post came in defence of the Irish novelist Sally Rooney, who said she could no longer sell books in the UK after pledging proceeds from their sales to Palestine Action. Responding to the broadcaster Adam Boulton, who described Rooney's support for Palestine as "anti-Jewish", Helm wrote: "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."
Police said the post was "in the process of being assessed" to determine whether an investigation was required. Downing Street distanced itself from the comments, with a spokesperson saying: "These views are held by an individual who does not represent the government in any capacity."
The ban on Palestine Action has so far resulted in more than 3,700 arrests for backing the group, with more than 2,250 people formally charged as terrorists.
Helm, a former Sunday Times journalist and diplomatic editor at the Independent, is married to Powell, who was appointed national security adviser under Keir Starmer in 2024. Her works include a book about women imprisoned by the Nazis at the Ravensbrück concentration camp and a play about the Iraq war. She is currently writing a book about Gaza.