A Labour MP who has been a prominent critic of Sir Keir Starmer’s government and made cover up accusations over the Peter Mandelson scandal has been suspended by the party.
Karl Turner, who has repeatedly spoken out about plans to restrict jury trials, had the Labour whip suspended on Tuesday.
He has also questioned the circumstances around the theft of the Prime Minister's former chief of staff Morgan McSweeney's mobile phone and with it potential messages relating to Lord Mandelson’s appointment as US ambassador.
The former barrister was reportedly informed by Chief Whip Jonathan Reynolds that he was suspending the whip "following his recent conduct".
But Mr Turner, who has been the MP for Kingston upon Hull East since 2010, said: "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."
As well as leading Labour resistance on the jury trial issue, he has questioned Mr McSweeney's claim that his mobile phone was stolen in Westminster in October.
The theft has meant the device, and its contents, has not been handed to MPs publishing documents relating to the vetting of Lord Mandelson before he was received the top diplomat job in Washington despite the peer’s relationship with paedophile financier Jeffrey Epstein.
Mr Turner called the former aide to Sir Keir Starmer "McSwindle".
He wrote on X last week: "I don't believe McSwindle had his iPhone stolen.
“I believe the report was made. McSwindle didn't mention that he was the chief of staff to the PM. A significant omission of [sic] he'd wanted the police to prioritise the offence."
