JLM welcomes suspension of MP who gave interview to activist accused of ‘peddling antisemitic conspiracies’

An outspoken critic of Keir Starmer’s government has had the Labour whip suspended after he gave an interview to an activist accused of “pushing antisemitic conspiracy theories” and who faced allegations of misogyny in a general election campaign.

Karl Turner, a barrister and leading critic of the government’s plan to restrict jury trials to the most serious offence, was informed by Chief Whip Jonathan Reynolds that he was suspending the whip “following his recent conduct”.

The Kingston upon Hull East MP confirmed:“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.”

Jewish News understands that Labour whips have become increasingly frustrated with the MP’s conduct for some time now, but the tipping point came with the most recent interview  with Jody McIntrye, a writer for the far-left conspiracy site The Canary, who stood as a Workers Party candidate in the last general election.

McIntyre has a lengthy history of making anti-Zionist remarks and campaigned at the last election on a pro-Gaza ticket, where he narrowly failed to win the Birmingham Yardley seat with what many viewed as a divisive and inflammatory campaign against his female Labour opponent Jess Phillips.

After the result was called, amid shouts and boos from onlookers, including chants of “shame on you” and “free Palestine”,  Phillips , who narrowly held the seat, said: “I will carry on with my speech. I understand that a strong woman standing up to you is met with such reticence.”

She then recounted how during the campaign a community activist went out to canvass with her, but was filmed by people in the street and had her car’s tyres slashed.

One Labour insider said there had been further concerns raised within the PLP about “Turner’s conduct towards his colleagues”.

More recently on 25 March, McIntyre  wrote an article “Meet the pro-Israeli lawyers who want to restrict jury trials in England” which alleged  his investigations “reveal pro-Israeli lawyers pushing for the change”.

The article featured images of Jewish Courts minister Sarah Sackman, and Deputy Prime Minister David Lammy.

Responding to the Golders Green Hatzola ambulance arson attack he wrongly alleged  they were a “Jewish only” ambulance service and then used“false flag” claims about those res[onsible for the incident.

He wrote that the “Israeli state are already blaming Iran” before adding “it wouldn’t be the first time they have engaged in a ‘false flag’ attack.”

At the centre of McIntrye’s other claims have been a series of conspiracy theories around Starmer’s former chief of staff, Morgan McSweeney and his alleged links to Israeli controllers.

Similar claims have also emerged in McIntyre’s reporting of the row over Labour’s plan for juries, with one article suggesting the proposal was the work of “pro-Israel” ministers, such as Sarah Sackman, and Deputy Prime Minister David Lammy.

In a statement after Turney’s suspension was confirmed, the Jewish Labour Movement said: “It is right that Karl Turner has had the whip suspended.  “Holding an interview with Jody McIntrye, a man who is pushing antisemitic conspiracy theories about the Labour Party, and our JLM members, is crossing a red line.”

The Labour peer Lord Katz went further, criticising senior Tory figures who had condemned the decision to remove the whip from Turner.
“Shame Tories are playing politics with this,” wrote the peer and government whip.

“If one of her MPs had done an interview with toxic antisemite Jody McIntyre, who peddles online conspiracy theories and hate towards Jews, I’d hope Kemi Badenoch would take disciplinary action. You can’t legitimise this hate.”

It followed posts on X by senior Tories, including  Kemi Badenoch and shadow attorney general Lord Wolfson, who had linked Turner’s suspension to his involvement with the campaign to defend jury trials.

“This Labour Government is SO authoritarian,” Conservative Party leader Badenoch said in a post on social media.

Alex Deane, the Conservative commentator who stood against Courts Minister Sackman in Finchley and Golders Green, also posted on X:”Terribly sad day when the Labour Party – with a strong record in the past on protecting justice, & no manifesto mention of this policy – suspends an MP over, of all things, standing up for trial by jury.”

Other communal figures also stepped in to defend Turner’s track record over antisemitism, including Jewish lawyers who knew him.

Simon Myerson KC said JLM “are utterly wrong” and “has fallen for the spite of the leadership against a man I know well and they don’t know at all. No judgement.”

Lord Wolfson posted on X:”In 1670, jurors were locked up for refusing to convict — and the courts said “never again” (Bushel’s Case).

“In 2026, an MP loses the whip for defending jury trial. This is what happens if you don’t have criminal and human rights lawyers right at the heart of government. Oh…wait.”

At the time of the Jeremy Corbyn crisis over anti-Jewish racism Turner had regularly spoken out against antisemitism.

As the leading critic of the Courts and Tribunals Bill, Turner has caused the Government difficulty.

He abstained when the legislation had its first Commons test on March 10, but said he planned amendments to strip the Bill of the “completely unworkable, unpopular, unjust and unnecessary” measures restricting access to a crown court jury trial.

Turner had previously threatened to quit the Commons and trigger a by-election over the proposals, which would see cases with a likely sentence of three years or less being heard by a single crown court judge, and magistrates’ courts taking on cases with a likely sentence of up to two years.

He held his seat in 2024 with a majority of 3,920 over Reform UK.

The decision to suspend the whip from Turner will be reviewed at a later date.

Later, in a statement he said: “I joined the Labour Party at 13 and have been a loyal member ever since.

“In 16 years as a Labour Member of Parliament, I have never broken the whip except on the issue of jury trials.

“That is why I am surprised and disappointed to have been suspended from the Labour whip without any prior verbal communication, and I have written to the Chief Whip, through my solicitor, to seek a full explanation of the reasons behind this decision.

“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. Jury trials are a cornerstone of our democracy and a vital safeguard in our justice system.”

In a further development Katz and JLM deleted their posts in relation to the matter.

Katz wrote on X:”Following a recent (now deleted) post, I want to make clear that I do not think Karl Turner MP holds, or has held, antisemitic views. I would like to apologise for any suggestion or implication from my post that this is the case.”