Labour Row Erupts Over Starmers Jury Trial Scrap Plan

A Labour row has erupted as Keir Starmer prepares for a backbench rebellion over the government’s plans to scrap most jury trials.

MPs will vote on the second reading of the Courts and Tribunals Bill tonight.

It contains plans to end jury trials in cases that carry a likely sentence of less than three years, which would instead be heard in front of a lone judge.

Ministers say the drastic move is necessary to clear the huge backlog of cases in the court system.

But critics say jury trials are a fundamental right and should not be scrapped under any circumstances.

Up to 80 Labour MPs were reported to be ready to vote against the policy, potentially putting the government’s huge Commons majority at risk.

HuffPost UK has learned that a deal was done on Monday night between justice secretary David Lammy and Karl Turner, the chief critic of the proposals, which will see most of the rebels either abstain or vote with the government.

Turner, the Labour MP for Kingston upon Hull East, said the government has agreed to a “meaningful review” of the new system to assess whether it is working in practice.

But he said: “After the meeting with Lammy, that lasted for more than an hour, I’m even more convinced than ever that these proposals won’t work.

“Ministers won’t answer the questions because they don’t have answers to them.”

Turner said he was “more confident than ever” that the government will be defeated when the bill reaches report stage in the Commons.

He said: “I think this is going to die a death. We’re going to be able to amend the worst excesses out of it at report stage.”

But a government source said: “The fact that Karl Turner is now not voting against the government on juries shows one thing – he was completely unable to persuade a critical mass of the Parliamentary Labour Party. This has been clear for some time now, despite media reports.

“Constant assertions that the government definitely could not get this through second reading were wide of the mark, and that there would be resignations. It is the dog that didn’t bark.”