MP Critical Of Jury Trial Reforms Has Labour Whip Suspended

Labour MP Karl Turner has had the party whip suspended after rebelling against the government over its plans to scrap most jury trials.

It is understood the MP for Kingston upon Hull East was informed by the chief whip Jonathan Reynolds today that he had the whip suspended following his recent conduct.

This decision will be reviewed at a later date, HuffPost UK understands.

However the MP has suggested he was not told of the party’s decision before the media announced it.

Turner wrote on X: “I am being told that I have had the whip suspended but I have not had any notification from the whips about this. It seems journalists have been told but I have not.”

He issued a full statement hours later, saying he was “disappointed” to be suspended without prior verbal communication.

Ministers have been pushing 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.

The government argues that this is needed to clear the huge backlog of cases within the system, but critics like Turner say jury trials are a fundamental right.

Turner also told HuffPost UK less than a fortnight ago that a “revolt” by the Parliamentary Labour Party is just weeks away unless Starmer turns around the government’s fortunes ahead of the May elections.

He voiced his support for former deputy prime minister Angela Rayner after she warned the government was “running out of time” to deliver the change voters were promised.

The MP said: “It is refreshing to see a senior Labour politician come out and speak clearly to the situation we find ourselves in.”

He claimed there is “a great deal of discontent on the Labour benches”.

Turner said he still supports the prime minister’s leadership but urged him to up his game as Labour trails in the polls.

And he said the elections for the Scottish Parliament, Welsh Senedd and English councils on May 7 were D-Day for his premiership.

He said: “The PM needs to listen hard to what his PLP are saying. We cannot be treated with contempt.”

Meanwhile the Guardian reported that Turner’s suspension was related to an interview the MP gave to Jody McIntyre, a campaign who previously stood at the 2024 elections against Labour’s Jess Phillips.