Are there any men-only clubs left in London? Garrick Club votes for equality

Garrick Club 0212a

Members of the Garrick Club have voted to allow women to join for the first time.

The 18th century institution had received calls to admit female members and was criticised this year after a leak revealed its 1,300 members consisted of politicians, journalists, judges and actors.

Members on the list include deputy prime minister Oliver Dowden and levelling up secretary Michael Gove, as well as former cabinet ministers including Sir Jacob Rees-Mogg, Kwasi Kwarteng and Robert Buckland.

The head of the civil service Simon Case and the chief of MI6 Richard Moore resigned from the club after the leak.

The vote took place on Tuesday, with nearly 60% in favour.

After senior judges analysed the club’s rules, they concluded there was nothing in the Garrick’s constitution preventing women from being allowed to join, because the 1925 Law of Property Act advises that in legal documents the word “he” should also be read to mean “she”.

Former culture minister Lord Vaizey described the club as “really quite backward”.

“Women couldn’t even walk up the front stairs, they couldn’t dine in the main dining room,” he said.

“All of that has changed a long time ago, thankfully.”

The Guardian reported that pro-women members of the club had planned to put together a list of seven women to join the club, including actress Juliet Stevenson.

But when actress Joanna Lumley was proposed as a member in 2011, the Guardian reported that some members wrote expletives over her nomination and ripped it out of a book. One member wrote: “Women aren’t allowed here and never will be.”

Are there any all-male clubs left in London?

A number of male-only members’ clubs still exist in the capital, including:

Bath & Racquets Club

Beefsteak Club

Boodle’s

Brook’s

Buck’s Club

East India Club

Flyfishers’ Club

Portland Club

Savage Club

Savile Club

Travellers Club

Turf Club

White’s

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