Huh? (note this is a spoiler for the BBC weekly quiz)

[lathany]

On the BBC weekly quiz today it comments that the leader of the Conservative Party is not a member of the Carlton Club and instead: "David Cameron ... belongs to White's, another all-male club. Mr Howard and Baroness Thatcher are both full members - until now, the Iron Lady was the only exception to the men-only rule."

However on the main article here it says "The Carlton Club, the elite private members' club for Conservatives, is to allow women to become full members - 176 years after it was founded. Former PM Lady Thatcher had been the sole full female member, having been granted "honorary" membership in 1975. Other women were limited to "associate member" status without voting rights and excluded from some areas. Party leader David Cameron and former leader Iain Duncan Smith had declined membership because of the policy.".

And huh? Why have that policy if he is a member of another all-male club?

Now I can think of various answers; including either report being a mistake, or Cameron feeling that political clubs should be open to all (but not other clubs).

But does anyone know what the answer is?

Comments

[undyingking.livejournal.com]

Cameron is a hypocritical git who thought he could gain political capital from being seen to turn down the one place, expecting (correctly it seems) that the media would be too adoring / supine to expose his membership of the other?

[lathany.livejournal.com]

I certainly haven't ruled that one out!

[tkb.livejournal.com]

I did catch prospective Conservative candidate Louise Bagshawe on Woman's Hour this morning, who (if memory serves) explained the position that

- single-sex private members' clubs in general are fine, but

- the Carlton Club has strong ties to the Conservative Party, which wants to be seen as an inclusive organisation, so for *that* club to be all-male was not desirable

which I guess is quite close to your second suggestion.

(http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/womanshour/04/2008_21_fri.shtml has the segment on Listen Again.)

[lathany.livejournal.com]

Many thanks for that - interesting answer!

[marjory.livejournal.com]

I think it's an extension of the same inconsistency which has hime cycling around London whilst being followed by his driver. Hence thoroughly consistent with his ethos at one and the same time.

[lathany.livejournal.com]

I see your point.

[atreic.livejournal.com]

Hi! Err, I sometimes stumble across your comments on Catriona's blog, and you seem cool so I've friended you so I can stalk you I can have more interesting things on my friends page. No pressure to reciprocate if you don't want to, and if you'd rather I went away just let me know ;-)

[lathany.livejournal.com]

Hi there! I've trotted over to your journal and then decided to return fire!

[atreic.livejournal.com]

Yay! I suppose I should write something interesteing about work and stop whinging about trains, in that case...