Garrick Club votes to allow female members

Members of the Garrick Club have voted to allow women to join the institution.

The all-male private members' club, which was founded in 1831, had been under pressure to admit female members.

On Tuesday members of the club, in London's West End, voted to allow women to join after reconsidering the legal wording surrounding membership.

The head of the Civil Service Simon Case and the chief of MI6 Richard Moore recently resigned from the club after its membership list was revealed.

The vote was passed, with nearly 60% in favour. The Garrick has been contacted for comment.

The vote confirming the resolution required a 50% majority, although previous votes on the question of female membership had required a two-thirds majority.

Analysis of the club's rules by senior judges 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".

Published by the Guardian newspaper, the closely guarded membership list included the King, judges, lawyers, peers, cabinet ministers and other MPs, as well as academics, actors, rock stars and senior journalists.

Deputy Prime Minister Oliver Dowden and Levelling Up Secretary Michael Gove were both revealed as members of the Garrick by the Guardian, as well as former cabinet ministers including Sir Jacob Rees-Mogg, Kwasi Kwarteng and Robert Buckland.

BBC broadcasters John Simpson and Melvyn Bragg were also revealed to be members.