Labour rebels believe they can defeat their own government’s controversial plans to scrap some jury trials, HuffPost UK has learned.
Justice secretary David Lammy provoked a major backlash when he unveiled the policy last week.
Under the reforms, jury trials will be scrapped for crimes that carry a likely sentence of less than three years.
Those cases will be heard by a lone judge in a newly-created Crown Court Bench Division.
The most serious offences such as murder and rape will continue to be dealt with by juries.
Lammy said the changes, which are backed by Keir Starmer, would help to clear the huge backlog of cases in the courts and deliver swifter justice for victims.
But critics say it would undermine the right of accused people to be tried in front of a jury, and will not clear the courts backlog either.
Labour rebels are confident that, when it comes to a vote in the House of Commons, they would be able to overturn the government’s majority of around 160.
One MP told HuffPost UK: “Even normally-loyal MPs are deeply uncomfortable with it.”
Another rebel said: “There’s no way this ridiculous policy will ever get on the statute book. The PLP (Parliamentary Labour Party) will not wear it.”
Former frontbencher Karl Turner, who is a lawyer, posted on X: “I’m confident there enough of us to stop this utterly ludicrous proposal. Numbers are growing from those that are not considered the ‘awkward squad’.”
Despite Labour’s landslide victory at last year’s election, Starmer has struggled to force through unpopular policies because of opposition from his own MPs.
The government was forced to ditch plans to slash £5 billion from the welfare bill in the face of a huge backbench rebellion.
Pressure from Labour MPs also forced No.10 to U-turn on the decision to axe winter fuel payments for 10 million pensioners, while Rachel Reeves announced in the Budget that the two-child benefit cap is being scrapped, despite previously claiming it was unaffordable.
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