What Is The Garrick Club?

A central London private members’ club has been under the spotlight after its membership list was published in the Guardian newspaper. But what is the Garrick Club, and why is it controversial?

What is the Garrick Club?

The Covent Garden club, named after eighteenth century actor David Garrick, opened in 1831, and is said to have around 1,500 members.

Last week, The Guardian revealed what it describes as “the roll call of (the) British establishment” – a membership list that reportedly includes judges, barristers, MPs, academics, actors and senior figures in the arts.

London’s private members’ clubs are world famous, with some notorious for their men-only rules and strict dress codes. The Garrick is among the best known among scores of clubs across the capital. Other legendary names include Annabel’s, The Groucho Club and the National Liberal Club, with some more political in their membership than others.

So who is actually a member of the Garrick Club?

The Guardian claimed the membership list included King Charles, deputy prime minister Oliver Dowden and Sir Richard Moore, the head of MI6.

Among other names on the members list are actors Matthew Macfadyen, Benedict Cumberbatch and Damian Lewis as well as the chief executive of the Royal Opera House, Alex Beard, and Antonio Pappano, who is now chief conductor of the London Symphony Orchestra.

Others said to be members include Succession star Brian Cox, former England men’s football manager Roy Hodgson and Dire Straits frontman Mark Knopfler. BBC broadcasters John Simpson and Melvyn Bragg are also members, according to the reports.

What’s the controversy?

The row stems from the fact the Garrick Club excludes women, and its refusal to admit female members despite efforts to change the rules. Women can only visit as a guest of a male member.

In 2015, the Garrick’s membership voted 50.5 per cent in favour of allowing female members but the club rules require a two-thirds majority for a change. This year, members will have a chance to vote again on allowing women.

Critics say they have no issue with men hanging out with other men, but have concerns over a club containing so many influential members, highly concentrated in certain professions.

On Wednesday, Simon Case, Britain’s top civil servant, quit the club just a day after being mocked for claiming he had only joined it to help women become members.

Case was asked by a Commons committee how his membership of the Garrick could be squared with his commitment to making the civil service more diverse.

He said: “My position on this one is also clear. If you believe profoundly in reform of an institution, by and large it’s easier to do if you join it to make the change from within rather than chuck rocks from the outside.

“And by the way, maths is also part of this. Every one person who leaves who is in favour of fixing this antediluvian position, every one of us that leaves means these institutions don’t change.

“I think when you want reform you have to participate.”

Meanwhile, MI6 boss Richard Moore also resigned from the club after facing criticism for being a member against the backdrop of the secret service attempting to demonstrate that it is no longer staffed exclusively by white, male Oxbridge graduates.

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Leak Inquiry Launched Over Briefings Against Penny Mordaunt

The head of the civil service has launched an inquiry into leaks allegedly designed to damage Penny Mordaunt’s leadership campaign.

Simon Case, the cabinet secretary, launched the probe after papers drawn up by civil servants made their way into a Sunday Times story.

The paper claimed the documents suggest she backed watering down the legal process for transitioning when she was equalities minister.

Her team fiercely rebutted the story, saying the contest was being distracted by side issues. Mordaunt’s campaign has been the subject of a number of briefings that she has described as “toxic”.

Case has promised the investigation will be completed “as quickly as possible” given the “importance” of the subject.

David Davis, who is supporting Mordaunt’s run to be prime minister, wrote to the government equalities office demanding to know how the policy paper was released.

In a letter to Tory MP Davis, Case said: “Thank you for your letter of 17 July, raising your concerns about the apparent leaking of information designed to influence the Conservative leadership election.

“I have been very clear in writing with the civil service that it is paramount that public resources are not used to support leadership campaigns during the Conservative Party leadership election.

“Further to that, unauthorised disclosure of government information to the media is clearly inappropriate.

“In light of these facts and the concerns you raise, I can confirm that I have launched a leak investigation into this matter.

“The investigation will be completed as quickly as possible given the importance of the subject.”

Mordaunt herself has accused her Conservative leadership rivals of mounting a smear campaign against her and condemned “toxic” briefings from rival camps.

In response to the original story, Baroness Williams of Trafford, the equalities minister from 2018 to 2020, refuted the allegations, saying: “I feel compelled to issue a statement to challenge the factually incorrect representations put forward by leadership candidates in relation to Penny Mordaunt MP’s position and tenure at the equalities office.

“The events relayed at the hustings and repeated again to the media today in relation to the self-ID debate are completely incorrect.

“As minister for equalities in the department under both Penny Mordaunt and Amber Rudd I saw first hand that the position stated was absolutely not Penny Mordaunt’s and completely refute the allegations made by other candidates about the self ID debate.

“Having sat in the equalities office for many years, I am shocked to see such incorrect reporting and briefings by our colleagues and would question the motives of those seeking to do so.”

Tory MPs voted on the PM’s successor on Wednesday afternoon, with the result announced by Graham Brady, chairman of the 1922 committee of Tory backbenchers, at 4pm.

The final two candidates will then be put to party members to make the final decision, with the winner announced on September 5.

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