A prominently Labour critic of Government plans for a major restriction on the right to trial by jury was suspended by the party today.

Karl Turner, 54, was leading internal opposition to David Lammy’s proposal to allow juries to hear only the most serious criminal cases in a bid to cut a major backlog.

The Hull East MP vowed he would ‘not stand back from speaking truth to power when it matters’ after his suspension, saying his only concern was improving the court service.

The Government has faced considerable opposition from its own backbenchers over the legislation, with Mr Turner branding it ‘unworkable, unpopular, unjust and unnecessary’, in a Commons debate earlier this month.

But he has also hit out on a variety of other issues affecting the Government and the PM’s handling of them in recent weeks.

He questioned the circumstances around the theft of a phone belonging to the Prime Minister’s former chief of staff Morgan McSweeney, which may have contained messages relating to Lord Peter Mandelson’s time as ambassador to the US.

He had branded the former aide to Sir Keir Starmer ‘McSwindle’ and in an LBC interview recorded just before his suspension accused the PM of ‘treating the electorate as fools’.

The Mail understands he was told by Chief Whip Jonathan Reynolds that he was suspending the whip ‘following his recent conduct’.

But writing on X Mr Turner said: ‘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 later added: ‘It is clear this relates to my stance on jury trials, where I have offered what I believe to be robust but fair criticism.

‘I will not stand back from speaking truth to power when it matters.’

Under plans being pushed through by Justice Secretary Mr Lammy, criminal cases with a likely sentence of three years or less would not be entitled to a jury trial.

‘Jury trials are a cornerstone of our democracy and a vital safeguard in our justice system.’

Mr Turner also referred to reports regarding an interview he gave to Jody McIntyre, a campaigner who stood at the 2024 elections against Labour’s Jess Phillips.

He said: ‘At the time, I was unaware of the interviewer’s wider views, and had I known then what I know now, I would not have participated. I have already requested corrections where my comments were misrepresented.

‘Despite this disagreement, I want to build bridges with my party, the Prime Minister and the Government.

‘I want to help repair our justice system and ensure this Labour Government delivers the change people elected us to achieve.

Under plans being pushed through by Justice Secretary Mr Lammy, criminal cases with a likely sentence of three years or less would not be entitled to a jury trial.

Under changes proposed in the Courts and Tribunals Bill, these would instead be heard by a single crown court judge.

The action taken against Mr Turner will raise questions also about what may happen to other critics within the party.

MP Charlotte Nichols (Warrington North) is one of those who also criticised the law change, saying ministers were using victims as a ‘cudgel’ to push through the reforms.

The Government had been braced for a rebellion, however many of those with concerns opted to abstain at the Courts and Tribunals Bill’s second reading on March 10.

Ten Labour MPs voted against the draft legislation, all from the hard left of the party. Mr Turner and Ms Nicholls were not among them, with the Hull MP saying he wanted to see if the law could be amended instead of blocking it entirely.

Earlier this month Mr Turner told Times Radio: ‘I’m not going to be bullied. I’m not going to be threatened with suspension.

‘I’m already on a conduct warning for having the audacity to say that these proposals are ludicrous. I’m not going to be bullied around.

‘If my parliamentary Labour party chief, Prime Minister, leader of the party or whatever else doesn’t want me in the party anymore, fine. I don’t mind walking and causing a by-election.

‘But I’ll just say this to them, be a bit careful because the reality is if God came down from heaven wearing a red rosette right now, that God would not be elected as a Labour MP.’