A senior Labour MP has issued a dramatic threat to trigger a potentially damaging by-election in his constituency unless Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer abandons controversial Government plans to abolish jury trials for a range of criminal cases.
A 'Principled Point' That Could Cost Labour a Seat
Karl Turner, the Member of Parliament for Kingston upon Hull East and a former barrister, has warned Labour whips he is prepared to force a by-election to make a "principled point" against the proposals. Mr Turner, who has been an MP since 2010, broke the party whip for the first time in his parliamentary career this week to vote against the Government alongside the Conservatives.
He won his East Riding of Yorkshire seat by nearly 4,000 votes over Reform UK at the 2024 general election. However, Labour's subsequent slump in the opinion polls, combined with a surge in support for Nigel Farage's party, would make Reform UK confident of seizing the seat in any by-election contest.
'Ashamed' of the Prime Minister Over 'Ludicrous' Justice Plans
In a blistering critique, Mr Turner said he felt "ashamed" of Sir Keir Starmer over the "ludicrous proposals". The former shadow attorney general has been a consistent critic of both the Prime Minister and Justice Secretary David Lammy since the plans were unveiled last year.
Mr Lammy, who also serves as Deputy Prime Minister, is advocating for the creation of "swift courts" in England and Wales where cases would be heard by a judge sitting alone, without a jury. The Government argues this radical step is essential to tackle the Crown Court backlog, which is approaching 80,000 cases.
Mr Turner vehemently disputes this logic. He contends that the primary cause of the backlog is the restriction on the number of court sitting days, and insists that scrapping jury trials is an ineffective and dangerous solution to the problem.
Personal Experience Fuels a Deep-Seated Conviction
The Labour backbencher's opposition is rooted in profound personal experience. In an interview with the Sunday Times, Mr Turner revealed that he was once wrongly accused of a crime, which cemented his belief in the right to a jury trial.
"Many years ago I dealt in antiques," he explained. "I bought items that turned out to be stolen unbeknown to me. I was arrested, charged and remanded in custody." On legal advice, he elected for a jury trial. By the time the case reached court, the evidence was so weak that the prosecution offered none and the case was thrown out.
"When I say this matters to me, it really matters to me," Mr Turner stated. "But for my experience at the wrong end of the criminal law I wouldn't have become a lawyer... That's why I am able to say to the PM that I am ashamed of him and I am ashamed of David Lammy."
He called on the Government to "stop these ludicrous proposals and get on with the hard job of sorting out a criminal justice system" that has suffered decades of underfunding.
The proposed reforms would see jury trials removed for offences likely to result in a prison sentence of three years or less. The ability to appeal a magistrates' court verdict to the Crown Court would also be significantly limited, as ministers push to accelerate the justice process.
