The civil service leader, Simon Case, and the MI6 leader, Richard Moore, have stepped down from their positions at the Garrick Club following heavy backlash for their choice to join a club that has consistently refused to allow female members.
Their departures occurred two days after the Guardian released the confidential membership roster of the club, which exposed other members such as judges, numerous high-ranking lawyers, the civil service chief, heads of government-sponsored art organizations, and King Charles.
Case and Moore’s actions may cause other prominent club members to reconsider their membership.
The head of 500,000 civil servants, Case, received criticism for claiming he joined an all-male club in London in hopes of changing its policy.
On Wednesday evening, his representative stated, “I officially confirm that the cabinet secretary has officially resigned from the Garrick Club.”
Moore, who is the leader of the UK’s Secret Intelligence Service, made the decision to leave the Garrick Club following backlash from fellow colleagues at MI6. The organization has made it known that they are dedicated to addressing issues of equality and diversity within the service, which has been lacking in the past.
Moore reportedly sent two emails to every MI6 employee within 24 hours. The initial message, sent to a large number of workers on Tuesday morning, mentioned the Guardian’s coverage and the potential damage to the organization’s reputation due to his membership. He also expressed concern about the negative impact on MI6’s efforts to recruit more women.
According to the note, he stated that he would not step down as he was advocating for women to have the opportunity to join the club from within.
However, at 9am on Wednesday, he sent another, abbreviated message to employees, informing them that he had made the decision to resign from the Garrick after considering it overnight, according to sources at the Guardian.
He is reportedly embarrassed by the focus on his club membership, as it has diverted attention away from MI6’s efforts to promote gender diversity. He resigned after speaking with senior female coworkers.
On Tuesday Case had been asked by the former Labour minister Liam Byrne how he could “foster a genuine culture of inclusiveness” while also being a Garrick member. He replied: “I have to say today my position on this one is clear, which is that if you believe profoundly in reform of an institution, by and large it’s easier to do if you join it to make the change from within rather than chuck rocks from the outside.”
According to Hannah White, who serves as the director of the Institute for Government research organization, which collaborates with elected officials and high-ranking government employees to improve government operations, Case’s reasoning for his membership is “strange.”
According to her, the involvement of Case and Moore in the membership was sending a negative message to young civil servants. They are expected to be role models, spearheading initiatives to promote diversity and equality within the civil service.
The announcement that Moore joined a club that has a history of excluding women, since it was established in 1831, followed efforts by MI6 to show that its members are not only white, male graduates from Oxford or Cambridge, but also welcomes a diverse pool of applicants.
According to the service’s website, they are dedicated to creating a workforce that mirrors the community they serve. In a tweet from the @chiefMI6 account, Moore has previously conveyed their pledge to inclusivity, using the hashtag #ForgetJamesBond.
According to a recent report from the Guardian, the Garrick’s members consist of a high-ranking judge from the supreme court, five judges from the court of appeal, eight judges from the high court, approximately 150 King’s Counsel, many members from the House of Lords, and 10 Members of Parliament. Additionally, there are heads of influential thinktanks, law firms, private equity companies, academics, well-known actors, popular musicians, and senior journalists among the membership.
The announcement of judges who belong to the membership has caused discomfort among female lawyers.
According to equality law expert and Helen Mountfield KC, she would not consider it a fair trial if a member of the Garrick Club, who specializes in discrimination based on sex, were to preside over a case for one of her clients.
The statement implies that joining a club that only allows members based on professional success and facilitates informal connections may indicate acceptance of discrimination and prejudice.
Source: theguardian.com
