Labour suspends outspoken backbench MP Karl Turner. 13 hours ago. Joshua Nevett,Political reporter,. Joe Pike,Political correspondentand. Henry Zeffman,Chief political correspondent. BBC. A backbench Labour MP who has been a frequent critic of Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer’s government has been suspended from the parliamentary party.. The BBC understands Karl Turner, the MP for Hull East, had the Labour whip removed over recent comments about colleagues that have been described as “uncollegiate”, rather than his criticism of government policy.. In a post on X, Turner said he was “disappointed to be suspended without prior discussion” and had asked the chief whip, through his solicitor, for a “full explanation”.. Turner has regularly criticised the prime minister’s policies, including the government’s plans to reform jury trials.. Government sources have told the BBC that Turner has had previous written warnings, but the decision to suspend the whip will be kept under review.. Labour sources say 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.. Turner said it was “clear” his suspension was connected to his “robust but fair” criticism of the government’s policy on jury trials.. He said he wanted to “build bridges with my party, the prime minister and the government” adding: “My 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 has been one of the most vocal opponents of the government’s proposal to limit jury trials in England and Wales.. Last year, the MP branded the reform a “stupid idea” and urged Justice Secretary David Lammy to “please God, stop what you’re doing”.. Speaking to Times Radio earlier this month, Turner said he was “already on a conduct warning for having the audacity to say that these proposals are ludicrous”.. “I’m not going to be bullied around,” Turner said.. “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.”. More recently, Turner has commented on the theft of a government phone owned by the prime minister’s former chief-of-staff Morgan McSweeney.. Messages relating to Lord Mandelson’s appointment as British ambassador to the US could be lost as a result of the theft in October last year.. Posting on X, Turner wrote: “I don’t believe McSwindle had his iPhone stolen.”. He offered no evidence for this claim.. But in a later post, he said: “I got the memo now. Morgan McSweeney was mugged, reported that to the police, followed all the processes. Any questions around this is just conspiracy theory territory, really. Let’s move along now.”. Labour sources say
