London's Metropolitan Police announced on Saturday that they will not open a criminal investigation into a social media post published by Sarah Helm, an author and the wife of British Prime Minister Andy Burnham’s national security adviser.
Officers reviewed the online message following an announcement on Friday that it was undergoing assessment. A police spokesperson confirmed on Saturday that the post "did not meet the criminal threshold. No further police action will be taken."
Helm, a journalist who is married to National Security Adviser Jonathan Powell, had written a post on the platform X on Thursday that read: "God help us authors who support Palestine and Palestine Action."
The remark came after publisher Faber announced earlier in the week that it could no longer supply Irish author Sally Rooney's works in the United Kingdom in any format. Rooney had stated plans to allocate book royalties to Palestine Action, leading Faber to explain on its website that UK legislation barred it from transferring British earnings to the writer. The publisher noted that sales would continue in other countries and regions.
The post prompted criticism from the British non-governmental organisation Campaign Against Antisemitism, which demanded that police intervene and enforce the law. In response to inquiries on Friday, a British government spokesperson said Helm's comments did "not represent the government in any capacity".
Palestine Action has been proscribed as a terrorist organisation in the United Kingdom since lawmakers voted for the ban in July 2025. Although the organisation challenged the restriction, the Court of Appeal ruled in June that the government's proscription was lawful.
According to Amnesty International, police have arrested more than 3,500 people across the UK for allegedly backing Palestine Action since the group was banned, including many individuals detained for displaying placards.
