UK security adviser under pressure over wife's Palestine Action post

· Politics · United Kingdom

UK national security adviser Jonathan Powell is under pressure to distance himself from a comment by his wife, the award-winning writer Sarah Helm, supporting Palestine Action, a group banned as a terrorist organization. Helm weighed in on novelist Sally Rooney's support for the group, and police are reviewing her social media post. Rooney's books will no longer be sold in Britain over her plans to use royalties to support Palestine Action, she and her publisher said. The row has drawn scrutiny to Powell at a time when the UK is debating how to handle proscribed groups and political protest.

Why it matters：The episode tests how the UK handles support for proscribed groups at the highest levels of government, with implications for free expression and security policy.

Key points

  • Helm, wife of security adviser Jonathan Powell, posted support for Palestine Action.
  • Police are reviewing her social media post.
  • Sally Rooney's books will no longer be sold in the UK over her support for the group.

Sources (original reporting)

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