Labour MP Karl Turner suspended over jury trial opposition speaks out | Politics | News
Turner has been a Labour member since age 13 (Image: Getty)
A Labour MP who was suspended from the party following his opposition to changes to jury trials has told the Express he was “surprised and disappointed” to be kicked out from a party he has been a member of since he was 13 years old. Karl Turner, the Member of Parliament for East Hull said that he had been a “loyal member” ever since joining the party as a child, and that in his 16 years service as an MP he had “never broken the whip except on the issue of jury trials.”
Mr Turner’s suspension came as a shock to him, after it was reportedly briefed to the media before he was directly informed. It is understood that his suspension came after colleagues complained he was “uncollegiate” and was not as a result of his opposition to government policy.
An outspoken critic of the Labour government’s policies to reduce the availability of jury trials, Mr Turner said he was “surprised and disappointed to have been suspended from the Labour whip without any prior verbal communication”. He added that he had contacted the chief whip, via his solicitor, to request a ” full explanation of the reasons behind this decision.”
Whilst Labour have not commented on the suspension, and it is believed not to have been due to his political opposition to the jury trial policy, Mr Turner told the Daily Express: “It is clear this relates to my stance on jury trials, where I have offered what I believe to be robust but fair criticism.
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He added: “I will not stand back from speaking truth to power when it matters. Jury trials are a cornerstone of our democracy and a vital safeguard in our justice system. Weakening them will not solve the Crown Court backlog; it will undermine public confidence while doing nothing to address the real causes; years of underinvestment, crumbling courts, outdated technology, and insufficient resources.”
Mr Turner has been a Labour MP since 2010, and served in the shadow cabinet of the former leader of the party Jeremy Corbyn. He was reelected in 2025 with an increased majority. The MP described the the government’s plans to remove universal access to jury trials as “fundamentally dishonest” and added that the plans were “unworkable, ill-conceived, and not supported by any evidence.”
He added: “Serious concerns have been raised across the legal profession, including by the Bar Council, Criminal Bar Association, Law Society, and numerous charities. Support for these proposals is scarce, while experts warn they could do little to reduce the backlog, risk miscarriages of justice, and even increase harm to vulnerable victims.”
Turner brands jury trial changes ‘fundamentally dishonest’ (Image: Getty)
Addressing reports about his previous interviews on the topic, the former Labour MP added: “There have also been reports regarding an interview I gave last week. At the time, I was unaware of the interviewerโs 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.”
He stressed that he wanted to “build bridges with my Party, the Prime Minister, and the Government,” despite his disagreement and to “help repair our justice system and ensure this Labour government delivers the change people elected us to achieve.”
Mr Turner added that his “commitment to the Labour Party is unchanged. My loyalty remains, but so does my determination to stand up for what is right. I will continue to speak out against these proposals because my duty is to act in good faith, according to my principles, and to protect the most vulnerable.”
The MP said he would “continue to work tirelessly for the people of East Hull. My constituents come first, and no suspension or disagreement will stop me from standing up for them and fighting for the community I am proud to serve.”
Political parties often do not comment on the internal matters around suspensions of MPs, but one government source told the BBC earlier today that he has had previous written warnings, but the decision to suspend the whip will be kept under review.
Labour sources also said there was a “pattern of behaviour” that led to the decision to withdraw the whip, which means he will sit in the House of Commons as an independent.
