A Labour MP has told Sir Keir Starmer he should be 'ashamed of himself' over his plans to scrap jury trials. 

Karl Turner, a former barrister, said removing the right to a jury trial in some cases is 'not something the Labour Party believes in', saying that Justice Secretary David Lammy has 'fallen for the civil servants' trick'.

Mr Lammy, who is also the Deputy Prime Minister, wants to set up so-called 'swift courts' in England and Wales, where cases will be heard by a judge alone.  

He has argued the action is necessary to slash the Crown Court backlog, which has nearly hit 80,000 cases.  

The Kingston-upon-Hull MP broke the party whip for the first time since becoming an MP in 2010 to vote against the proposals. 

Mr Turner was the only Labour MP to vote against the proposals, but said he is confident of getting enough party support to defeat the proposals if legislation is brought forward later this year.

'I was absolutely stunned by this policy. I texted Keir and said to him he ought to be ashamed of himself. I'm completely ashamed of David Lammy,' Mr Lammy told Times Radio.

Karl Turner, a former barrister, said removing the right to a jury trial in some cases is 'not something the Labour Partybelieves in'

Justice Secretary David Lammy, who is also the Deputy Prime Minister, wants to set up so-called 'swift courts' in England and Wales, where cases will be heard by a judge alone 

Mr Turner said he texted Sir Keir Starmerhe telling him he should be 'ashamed of himself' over his plans to scrap jury trials

He continued: 'Lammy is the Justice Secretary who's fallen for the civil servants' trick.

'Every single justice secretary for the last two decades has been asked by officials to do away with some jury trials, but David Lammy is the fool who fell for the trick.

'We are absolutely seething with the Government, with the Prime Minister and with David Lammy.

'I've said to the Prime Minister, I want to see him face to face on this single issue, and I expect him to instruct Lammy to stop.'

The Conservatives used their opposition day in the House of Commons on Wednesday to call for the proposals to be rejected, but lost by 182 votes to 290. 

Mr Turner said Sir Keir was bringing forward a policy which 'as a former human rights lawyer he ought to be raving mad about'.

'The truth is that a single judge will have to go away and decide the reasons and write those reasons down ... which is not a short process.

'Every single barrister in the criminal justice system is saying it's a bad idea and it won't work.'