London elite club to finally allow women members

LONDON — London's The Garrick Club voted to allow women to join for the first time since it was founded in 1831, responding to growing public pressure to end its archaic all-male setup.

The Garrick, a private club named after an 18th-century actor, has been under scrutiny this year since a leak revealed that members included such establishment figures as King Charles III, senior politicians, journalists, judges and actors.

According to media reports, the vote passed with nearly 60 percent in favor of allowing women to join the club which is located in the capital's West End. The Garrick Club did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

In March, The Guardian published its membership list, which included Deputy Prime Minister Oliver Dowden, several senior judges and dozens of parliament members.

Critics said the club was preventing women from accessing the same networking opportunities as men.

The last vote on whether to accept female members was held in 2015, when it was rejected, because at the time a two-thirds majority was needed to change a club rule.

Women had previously been allowed to enter The Garrick Club as guests, but were restricted in where they could go. Several high-profile members had reportedly threatened to quit the club if the proposal was rejected.

BBC world affairs editor John Simpson last week tweeted: "Various Garrick Club members including (musicians) Sting, Mark Knopfler and leading actors and producers have reportedly written to the club chairman saying they'll resign if the membership doesn't vote to accept women next Tuesday."

In March, the head of Britain's spy service, also known as MI6, Richard Moore resigned after a list of the club's membership was made public for the first time.

UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak's most senior policy adviser, civil service leader Simon Case, also quit his membership.

A petition launched in 2021 backing the admission of women attracted the support of Cherie Blair, a leading barrister and wife of former British prime minister Tony Blair.

She recalled that in 1976 as a trainee lawyer she was left standing outside while her future husband Tony was allowed in for dinner. "It's outrageous that so little progress has been made since then," she wrote.

Agencies via Xinhua