Back in 2020, former criminal law barrister Karl Turner MP was one of the golden boys of Labour leader Keir Starmer's shadow ministerial team. On being handed the shadow legal aid brief, the Hull East MP said: 'I relish the opportunity to fight for the restoration of proper access to justice, through legal aid, to its rightful place at the heart of our justice system.'
Six years on, there has been a parting of the ways. The BBC is reporting today that Turner has had the Labour whip suspended - effectively expelling him from the party. His crime? Apparently making comments about colleagues that have been described as 'uncollegiate'.
Turner has of course been a vocal critic of the government's plan to curb jury trials, describing it as a ‘ludicrous proposal’ and unhelpfully pointing out that it was not in the party's manifesto. Whether he mellows his tone or uses his new independent status to be more outspoken remains to be seen.
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