Abstentions spell trouble ahead on juries

Majorities of over 100 sound pretty healthy. But those numbers do not tell the whole story.

There was an ominous warning for the government in the voting figures on its controversial jury trial reforms.

The numbers revealed that in the two votes, 93 Labour MPs failed to support the government in the first vote and 100 in the second.

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There may not have been that many Labour MPs voting against the government. But this was a major rebellion, nevertheless.

It means that David Lammy's controversial bill is already in trouble. Defeats look highly likely during the line-by-line committee stage.

And that's before it reaches the legislative minefield of the House of Lords, packed with top barristers and retired senior judges.

So why were the voting numbers in the Commons ominous for Mr Lammy and Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, who, after all, used to be director of public prosecutions?

First, Kemi Badenoch's Tory amendment to the Courts and Tribunals Bill, declining to give it a second reading, was defeated by 311 to 203, a majority of 108.

Then, minutes later, the second reading was approved by 304 to 203, a slightly smaller government majority of 101.

On the first vote, just seven diehard left-wingers - yes, the usual suspects - voted with the Tories. No prizes for guessing the identity of these rebels.

They were Apsana Begum, Richard Burgon, Ian Byrne, Imran Hussain, John McDonnell, Bell Ribiero-Addy and Nadio Whittome.

Loyalist MPs among those who abstained

But 86 abstained. That's far more than government whips must have been expecting. And they included loyalists not known for rebelling.

Then, in the second vote, the same seven left-wingers were joined in the opposition lobby by three more, Kim Johnson, Jon Trickett and Ian Lavery.

And in both votes, the Labour MPs recorded as not voting were certainly not just the usual suspects, though some of the abstainers were indeed from the left.

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Those not voting included several senior MPs who chair select committees: Debbie Abrahams, Fleur Anderson, Tonia Antoniazzi, Liam Byrne, Bill Esterson, Dame Emily Thornberry, Dame Meg Hillier, Dame Chi Onwurah, Sarah Champion, Florence Eshalomi.

Charlotte Nicholls, who dramatically revealed during the debate that she was raped after she became an MP, and the rebels' leader, Karl Turner, also abstained.

But there was one piece of good news for the prime minister. Angela Rayner, who allies had claimed was unhappy with the jury trial proposals, voted with the government in both votes.

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However, unless Mr Lammy makes significant concessions to the rebels ahead of the committee stage, she may not do so next time.

So the majority of over 100 at the second reading were pretty meaningless. And the large number of abstentions spells big trouble ahead.

(c) Sky News 2026: Abstentions spell trouble ahead on juries