Suspended Labour MP Karl Turner challenges Keir Starmer over 'hostile' mental health smears from No10 officials: 'You allowed it to happen!'

Suspended Labour MP Karl Turner has launched a challenge against the Prime Minister after receiving "hostile" and "discriminatory" briefings about him from No10 officials.

Addressing Sir Keir Starmer during Prime Minister's Questions, the MP for East Hull grilled the Labour leader on the treatment he received after opposing David Lammy's plan to curb jury trials.

Recalling what happened, Mr Turner highlighted how Sir Keir had previously "campaigned to scrap single judge trials in Northern Ireland".

He said: "From 1997, the Prime Minister campaigned to scrap single judge trials in Northern Ireland.

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"Yet when I opposed his Government's plan to bring in single judge trials in England and Wales, I received hostile briefings and smears about my mental health from our lads in number ten Downing Street."

Addressing the Prime Minister directly, the suspended MP spoke of his late newphew, who took his own life due to his mental health struggles.

Mr Turner asked: "The Prime Minister knows that my nephew Matty took his own life as a result of work related stress as a young criminal lawyer.

"So during Mental Health Awareness Week, while ministers spoke with compassion about health and wellbeing, did the Prime Minister reflect on those hostile, discriminatory briefings which he knew about and he allowed to happen?"

Responding to Mr Turner, Sir Keir said he "totally understands" the impact that losing Matty had on him, and declared that "nobody should be smeared" in relation to mental health.

The Prime Minister said: "He has told me previously about Matty and the impact that that had on him, and I totally understand that.

"And I want to be absolutely clear that nobody should be smeared in relation to mental health, nobody on any issue, whatever they may argue on any other issue, nobody.

"And I will do everything I can to make sure that that is the position."

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Mr Turner has spoken previously on GB News about being suspended from the Labour Party, where he argued that he should "never have had the whip removed".

He told GB News: "I'm still a member of the Labour Party and I expect to get the whip back. I should never have had the whip removed for speaking against a policy which was ludicrous.

"Doing away with some jury trials and serious criminal proceedings where those were accused if convicted by a single judge, if David Lammy had his way, would get up to three years in prison - it was a ludicrous idea."

Mr Turner also criticised Sir Keir for "not listening to anybody", admitting they were once "pals".

He said: "He doesn’t listen whatsoever. I had a good relationship with Keir Starmer, he was a pal of mine actually. He would text me regularly.

"But Keir Starmer listens to nobody. He has this expression, 'I'm not doing this by committee', and what he means is 'I've made my mind up, shut up'."

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