Burnham would abandon Labour’s plan to scrap jury trials

 David Lammy’s plans to curb jury trials are under threat if Andy Burnham becomes prime minister.

Mr Burnham, the Mayor of Greater Manchester, is seeking to return to the Commons in the Makerfield by-election next month and has previously called for a “pause” in the plans. He has also warned that the Government should not “take away something that’s a lynchpin of a fair society”.

Karl Turner, the rebel MP who lost the Labour whip over his opposition to the plans, told MPs that Mr Burnham opposed the “ludicrous” Government proposal to axe half of jury trials. He said he had spoken to him about his opposition.

The bill enacting the jury trial curbs is expected to return to the Commons in the coming weeks, when at least 40 MPs are expected to oppose it. It is also expected to face substantial opposition in the House of Lords.

Under the plans, defendants will lose the right to opt for jury trials and will instead face a judge-only court or magistrates’ courts if they are likely to be sentenced to less than three years in prison.

They are part of a package of reforms by Mr Lammy, the Justice Secretary, to reduce record court backlogs.

‘Step back, have proper consideration’

It is unlikely that the bill will return to the Commons before the by-election in Makerfield on June 18, which could catapult Mr Burnham back into Parliament and pave the way for a possible leadership challenge to Sir Keir Starmer.

Speaking on local radio, Mr Burnham said: “My instinctive reaction is… I think proceed with huge caution and do not take away something that’s a lynchpin of a fair society. My call on the Government is to pause this and take a step back and have proper consideration.

“I understand the pressure on the courts but this is about a fundamental part of our country. It has to proceed with broad consent if it’s to proceed. Perhaps there’s a case in some trials not to have a full jury trial. But it should be done with the broadest possible consent in society.”

Opinion polls show a marginal majority opposed the plans. An Opinium poll found 37 per cent against and 29 per cent in favour of the reforms, while a YouGov poll showed 41 per cent against and 37 per cent in support.

Mr Turner told Mr Lammy in the Commons: “The Mayor of London is opposed to these changes and has tried to persuade the Justice Secretary to bin them. The Mayor of Greater Manchester is opposed to this ludicrous idea.

“The leader of Scottish Labour was opposed to this idea, and it does not even involve Scotland. The former Welsh First Minister was apparently opposed to it. When is the Justice Secretary going to get his ego out the way and bin the ludicrous idea of curtailing jury trials?”

Mr Lammy replied: “The Honourable Gentleman makes his point with real force. However, he never talks about victims, and has not explained how we should bring down the backlog. The truth is that we are determined to bring down the backlog.

“The Honourable Gentleman knows that governments of all stripes stand by our jury system and stand by Magna Carta. We are not scrapping jury trials.”