Garrick Club votes to accept women members

London’s exclusive Garrick Club has voted to admit women members for the first time in 193 years. Hundreds of existing members met for two hours at an extraordinary general meeting in Covent Garden last night, many sporting the club’s official salmon pink and pea green tie. The vote was described as “civil”, with just under 60 per cent agreeing to accept legal advice from Lord Pannick, a British barrister and crossbencher in the House of Lords, that as the pronoun “he” is legally interchangeable with “she”, the club’s rules already allow women to join. Pannick was commissioned after the full membership list was leaked to The Guardian, leading to the resignation of MI6 boss Sir Richard Moore and civil service chief Simon Case. Other members including Stephen Fry and Sting had threatened to quit if women were not allowed to join.

The club committee called on all 1,500 members to vote, with a simple majority deciding the outcome.

The Garrick was founded in 1831 as a meeting place for “actors and gentlemen” and still claims bohemian club status despite a membership list including Daily Mail editor-in-chief Paul Dacre, former Post Office chair Tim Parker, Kwasi Kwarteng, Jacob Rees-Mogg and former England manager Roy Hodgson.

Amber Rudd and Mary Beard were among seven women nominated for membership in March, which would certainly prompt lively times in the Irving Bar.