David Lammy claims criminals will be let loose on Britain's streets if Labour MPs revolt on jury reform

Justice Secretary David Lammy has warned Labour MPs who rebel against his plan to scrap jury trials risk letting criminals walk free.

Mr Lammy, who is bracing for a showdown with Labour MPs in the House of Commons today, insisted limiting jury services to the most heinous offences will help bring down the record court backlogs of nearly 80,000 cases and reduce the delays of up to five years currently faced by victims.

Rejecting the suggestion the plan is an “affront to the Magna Carta”, the Justice Secretary wrote in The Telegraph: “These reforms are not about weakening justice.

“They are about ensuring justice can be delivered in a 21st-century world.

“To do anything else means tens of thousands more lives left hanging in the balance and criminals walking free as the system struggles to keep up.”

However, around 80 Labour MPs have threatened to vote down the courts bill unless Mr Lammy agrees to concessions at the committee stage.

More than 3,200 lawyers also wrote to Sir Keir Starmer yesterday to warn the Prime Minister against pursuing the “unpopular, untested and poorly evidenced” jury plans.

The legislation returns to the House of Commons today for its second reading.

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Reform to abolish £7.5k heat-pump subsidy to lower energy bills

Reform UK will today pledge to abolish a £7,500 heat-pump subsidy as part of its push to cut energy bills.

Speaking in Derbyshire later today, Reform UK's economics spokesman Robert Jenrick will pledge to scrap the scheme and use the money to reduce energy bills by reducing green levies, which pay for the subsidies.

He is expected to also promise to axe subsidies for carbon capture, usage and storage.

Labour accused of appeasing 'sectarian voting bloc' as new 'anti-Muslim hostility' definition formally unveiled

Labour has been accused of appeasing the "sectarian voting bloc" after the Government formally unveiled its "anti-Muslim hostility" definition on Monday.

Alongside the official definition, the Government also announced the creation of a dedicated "tsar" for tackling the "hostility" to the country's Muslim population.

The new definition has defined anti-Muslim hostility as "intentionally engaging in, assisting or encouraging criminal acts... that are directed at Muslims because of their religion or at those who are perceived to be Muslim."

But critics have tabled some serious accusations at Sir Keir Starmer's door...

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