Police are assessing a social media post by the wife of Andy Burnham’s national security adviser Jonathan Powell that shows support for banned extremist group Palestine Action. The Mail has more.
The Met said it was looking into whether Jonathan Powell’s wife Sarah Helm had committed a crime by advocating the proscribed terror organisation.
In a major embarrassment to her husband, the Prime Minister’s most senior aide, Helm wrote on X: “God help us authors who support Palestine and Palestine Action.”
It is an offence to publicly support the group and more than 3,700 people have already been arrested for championing it since it was banned from operating in Britain last year.
Her comment comes despite Powell being at the forefront of advising the Government on its approach to the group.
Powell has also been deeply involved in high-stakes diplomatic interventions with Israel after the shutdown of the British consulate in East Jerusalem following the UK imposing sanctions and a trade ban on West Bank settlements.
Advocacy group Campaign Against Antisemitism said Helm’s comment was “gobsmacking” and “raises serious questions”.
The Met Police said in a statement last night: ‘We have been made aware of an X post on Thursday October 15th referencing Palestine Action. It is in the process of being assessed to determine whether any further police investigation may be required.”
Helm, 69, advocated the group in responding to a post referencing controversial writer Sally Rooney on Thursday.
Normal People author Rooney stated earlier this week she will no longer sell her books in the UK because of her support for the banned group.
The 35 year-old previously said she would donate earnings from her books, and BBC adaptations of them, to Palestine Action – but her publisher Faber determined that could not happen because of the ban.
Membership or support for such proscribed groups, which include Palestine Action, is punishable by up to 14 years in prison.
And this tweet was not taken down, as far as we know. Palestine Action promotes widespread terror do the offence of supporting them is serious, if found guilty.
stillonlplates
1 hour ago
Rooney didn’t stop publishing her books in the UK – her publisher did. However principled her stand (or not) the publisher was keen not to be prosecuted for funding a proscribed organisation.
stillonlplates
1 hour ago
I can’t see the problem here. The man has no control (and neither should the Establishment) over what his wife thinks.
If she ends up in legal trouble, that would be a disgrace, but why would it affect her husband’s negotiations with Israel? (Unless, of course, he agrees with her, which is entirely possible, if currently unknown.)
I completely agree. People need to be able to separate things (or people) better in their minds. He’s not her keeper and she can have her own opinions.
And as far as I’m concerned, whatever one may think about the Palestine/Israel debate, it shouldn’t be for the government to ban someone from publicly supporting either side (or any other cause), if they take no violent action. In fact, we surely deserve to know what causes, good or bad, that influential people are supporting? To give the example of Sally Rooney, who has also recently expressed support for Palestine Action, we can either decide not to buy her books on that basis, or we can decide that we disagree with her and dislike her but still keep reading. At least then we are making an informed choice!
Caesar’s wife must be beyond suspicion. Anyone who believes her views are not discussed at home snd do not influence her husband is unaware of marital dynamics.
His behaviour in its own should disqualify him from tax payer funding and access to confidential material.
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Looks lovely. Do you think her husband shopped her?
The slow police ‘processing’ of tweets suggests that they should recruit some staff who can read at a reasonable speed.
How long did it take to arrest and charge Lucy Connolly for demanding the deportation of the treacherous government and politicians?
And this tweet was not taken down, as far as we know. Palestine Action promotes widespread terror do the offence of supporting them is serious, if found guilty.
Rooney didn’t stop publishing her books in the UK – her publisher did. However principled her stand (or not) the publisher was keen not to be prosecuted for funding a proscribed organisation.
I can’t see the problem here. The man has no control (and neither should the Establishment) over what his wife thinks.
If she ends up in legal trouble, that would be a disgrace, but why would it affect her husband’s negotiations with Israel? (Unless, of course, he agrees with her, which is entirely possible, if currently unknown.)
I completely agree. People need to be able to separate things (or people) better in their minds. He’s not her keeper and she can have her own opinions.
And as far as I’m concerned, whatever one may think about the Palestine/Israel debate, it shouldn’t be for the government to ban someone from publicly supporting either side (or any other cause), if they take no violent action. In fact, we surely deserve to know what causes, good or bad, that influential people are supporting? To give the example of Sally Rooney, who has also recently expressed support for Palestine Action, we can either decide not to buy her books on that basis, or we can decide that we disagree with her and dislike her but still keep reading. At least then we are making an informed choice!
What if you’ve already decided not to buy Sally Rooney’s books on the basis of their being rubbish.
100%
Caesar’s wife must be beyond suspicion. Anyone who believes her views are not discussed at home snd do not influence her husband is unaware of marital dynamics.
His behaviour in its own should disqualify him from tax payer funding and access to confidential material.