Labour moves to review men-only clubs
Clubland under fire as Labour tells officers not to fraternise with organisations lacking women members.
Context
The Army has ordered officers to disassociate themselves from men-only clubs that refuse to admit women. Additionally, this step accompanies a full review of the military’s ties to such organisations.
Additionally, Lord Coaker, the defence minister, told MPs that the review had begun after Lt Gen David Eastman told regiments that troops should advocate for change.
They should avoid men-only clubs that bar women from joining.
The internal inquiry will look into whether regimental affiliations to private members’ clubs “align with Army values”, which include “equality and respect”.
It comes amid a wider row over Labour’s military policy after Andy Burnham refused to commit to spending 3 per cent of GDP on defence.
Responding to a question from the Conservatives, Lord Coaker said: “The Deputy Chief of the General Staff has directed Corps and Regimental Colonels to conduct a full review of all Army associations with private members’ clubs, to ensure their rules, policies and culture align with Army values, including equality and respect.
“Given the breadth of the Army’s regimental structure and the potentially extensive range of historic affiliations, this work is substantial and remains ongoing.”
His announcement marked a departure from the MoD’s previous assertion that there was no “specific central policy on individual membership of single-sex private members’ clubs”.
While most private clubs with links to the military now accept female members, a handful have resisted calls to do so and are still only open to men.
They include the East India Club, in central London’s St James’s Square, and the nearby Travellers Club, which is the oldest of the Pall Mall clubs.
Justin Welby, the then archbishop of Canterbury, resigned from the Travellers Club in 2014 after it voted against admitting female members.
Opponents said Wes Streeting, the new Defence Secretary, should spend more time on securing greater military resources and less on “identity politics”.
Mike Wood, the shadow Cabinet Office minister, said: “Military clubs have served the Armed Forces for centuries. Now Labour are trying to force them to adopt their woke agenda.
“At the same time, Wes Streeting refuses to commit to spending 3 per cent of GDP on defence by 2030. Labour should focus less on identity politics and more on providing our armed forces with the resources they need to keep us safe.”
Last year Lt Gen Eastman, the then deputy chief of the general staff, wrote to all colonels urging them to “disassociate” from clubs or organisations deemed “fundamentally incompatible with the Army’s values”.
In his letter, first reported by Forces News, he highlighted any affiliation with clubs that treat men and women differently as problematic.
He wrote: “This concern extends beyond clubs that exclude women entirely, to include those where membership rights, access, or participation differ on the basis of gender – for example, restrictions on the rooms that can be accessed, the events that can be attended, or whether members may make purchases on equal terms.”
Defence sources denied that any official review was under way and said that Lt Gen Eastman’s letter had been in response to a single event. They added that it did not relate to individual soldiers’ membership of clubs.
An Army spokesman said: “Ensuring every member of our Armed Forces can participate fully in Army life without facing barriers based on gender is fundamental to building the capable, cohesive fighting force.
“This review addresses informal affiliations that risk creating two-tier access to professional networks. Where clubs affiliated with Corps or Regiments maintain different membership rights based on gender, it sends a message inconsistent with how a modern Army operates.
“There is never a wrong time to address practices that limit the potential of our people. This review requires no diversion of operational resources, it asks senior leaders to assess affiliations and engage in dialogue.”
Credit: The Telegraph
