Shadow Home Affairs Minister Alicia Kearns has addressed a formal letter to the prime minister, expressing significant concerns regarding the continued role of National Security Advisor Jonathan Powell. The inquiry follows social media activity by Mr. Powell’s wife, Sarah Helm, which referenced the group Palestine Action.
Ms. Kearns is questioning whether Mr. Powell’s position remains tenable in light of these comments. Her concerns persist despite the Metropolitan Police concluding on Saturday that the matter did not meet the criminal threshold, resulting in no further action being taken.
The controversy stems from a post made by Ms. Helm on X last Thursday, in which she wrote: "God help us authors who support Palestine and Palestine Action." Her comment was made in response to a discussion concerning the author Sally Rooney, who recently announced that her books would no longer be supplied to UK booksellers as she intends to donate her royalties to support the group.
In her communication to the government, Ms. Kearns has also reached out to Andy Burnham regarding the handling of sensitive national security information. She is seeking clarification on whether an internal government investigation into the posts has occurred and whether the prime minister maintains full confidence in his adviser. Ms. Kearns stated, "We cannot have the NSA's wife tweeting about what decisions her husband has or hasn't made."
A Downing Street spokeswoman responded to the situation by stating: "These views are held by an individual who does not represent the government in any capacity."
Palestine Action was proscribed as a terror organisation last year. Under current law, belonging to or supporting the group constitutes a criminal offence, with penalties reaching up to 14 years of imprisonment. An appeal against this proscription is scheduled to be heard by the Supreme Court next month, marking the continuation of a legal battle that has persisted for over a year.
