Criticism of Suella Braverman by Wife of UK’s National Security Adviser Sparks Controversy

By the Editorial Team · Sunday, October 25, 2026

Sarah Helm, wife of the UK’s national security adviser Jonathan Powell, has sparked controversy with social media posts criticizing Suella Braverman and suggesting she should be stripped of her British passport. This has led to demands for a review of Powell’s security vetting and intensified political scrutiny over the national security adviser’s clearance process.

The wife of the United Kingdom’s national security adviser, Sarah Helm, has drawn controversy after social media posts criticizing Suella Braverman, the former home secretary and current Reform UK education spokesman. In one tweet, Helm suggested that Braverman should be stripped of her British passport and experience the refugee journey across the English Channel by small boat. The remarks have triggered calls for a review of the national security adviser's vetting process and heightened political scrutiny.

Sarah Helm, a journalist and author, is married to Jonathan Powell, who was appointed as the UK’s national security adviser by Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer in November 2024. Helm’s online statements include support for Palestine Action, a group that is proscribed by the UK government, and calls for it to be “unbanned.” She also made comments criticizing Braverman’s stance on refugees, responding to Braverman’s assertion that not all individuals arriving in the UK are in genuine distress.

Braverman condemned Helm’s remarks as “hysterical and disgusting” and deemed them “totally inappropriate for the wife of a national security adviser.” The Conservative Party has demanded “an immediate re-vetting of Jonathan Powell” and greater transparency regarding the prior vetting procedures. Shadow national security minister Alicia Kearns called for clarity, stating that “the public deserve to know the truth” about the security clearance.

Among Helm’s social media posts are a 2020 tweet joking about the risk of Boris Johnson’s official aircraft being “shot out of the sky” if painted with Union Jack colors while flying over hostile territories. In addition, Helm has publicly criticized Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer for his approach to the conflict in Gaza during the 2024 general election campaign, accusing him of “cowardice and fear” for failing to take a decisive stance.

Helm previously worked as a Middle East correspondent for The Independent and has openly recounted overhearing conversations between former Prime Minister Tony Blair and US President George W. Bush in the lead-up to the Iraq War. These conversations inspired her 2011 play, Loyalty, which dramatizes a fictionalized memoir of her life with Jonathan Powell during that period.

Kearns accused the Labour Party of failing to learn lessons from past security vetting controversies, citing the example of Peter Mandelson. She said it was “inconceivable that a man whose most sensitive conversations ended up as material for his wife’s stage play was ever waved through the highest level of vetting.”

The government has distanced itself from Helm’s comments, with a spokesperson emphasizing that she “does not represent the Government in any capacity.” Representatives of Sarah Helm have been approached for comment but have yet to respond.

This article was reported by synthesizing coverage from multiple independent news outlets to present a balanced, unbiased account. Read about our editorial standards. Spotted an error? Let us know.