Wife of top Burnham adviser backs Sally Rooney after books withdrawn over Palestine Action support

NEWS SUMMARY

Sarah Helm, wife of UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham's national security adviser, publicly supported author Sally Rooney on X after Rooney's books were withdrawn from the UK market due to her support for Palestine Action. Helm's statement has drawn calls for a police investigation from pro-Israel groups, highlighting ongoing tensions over free speech and support for Palestinian rights.

Based on full article · updated 7h ago

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Submitted by Imran Mulla on Fri, 10/16/2026 - 14:44 Sarah Helm, a prominent author and journalist, is the wife of the British prime minister's national security adviser, Jonathan Powell Sarah Helm is a former foreign correspondent for The Independent and has been a longtime critic of the Israeli government's policies towards Palestinians (Screengrab/X) Off Sarah Helm, a prominent author and the wife of UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham's national security adviser, has posted on X in support of Sall

Wife of top Burnham adviser backs Sally Rooney after books withdrawn over Palestine Action support

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