Prime Minister Cameron Believes All-Male Clubs "Look Much More To The Past Than The Future"

The Independents Andrew Grice reports that Prime Minister David Cameron has joined the anti-all-male membership debate.

Oddly, the focus continues to be on Muirfield and not on the similarly all-male and far more powerful Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St. Andrews, a key distinction that seems lost.

The Culture, Media and Sport Secretary, who is also the Equalities Minister, is boycotting the Open golf championship at Muirfield in Scotland because the club refuses to admit women members. Downing Street backed her stance, saying Mr Cameron believed that all-male clubs “look much more to the past than the future.”

But to the irritation of Cameron aides, that provoked a flurry of questions about his membership of the hell-raising Bullingdon Club while he was at Oxford University, and his decision to join the exclusive all-male White’s club,  where his late father was once chairman. His official spokesman said the Prime Minister Prime Minister resigned from White’s in 2008, two and half years after becoming Tory leader.

Nick Clegg, the Deputy Prime Minister, described Muirfield’s policy as “old fashioned” and “anachronistic.” Andrew Lansley, the Tory Leader of the Commons, called it “entirely reprehensible.”

The story goes on to detail how Labour party members want legislation banning all-male clubs (but not all female clubs).

Meanwhile, Jane Bradley reports that Scottish First Minister Alex Salmond, who is sitting out his first Open in decades, clarified his stance on all-male clubs because it was realized that he is a member of an all-male club. Albeit it one with a sister club.

“[The] key point he has repeatedly made regarding the Honourable Company of Edinburgh Golfers at Muirfield is that it does not allow membership for women on an equal basis to that of men,” said a spokesman for the First Minister.

“If Muirfield were to establish a similar female equivalent to the Honourable Company, such as the St Rules’ and St Regulas Ladies clubs at St Andrews, this would represent a form of equality and an important step in the right direction.”