A minister has mocked Britain’s top civil servant after he made an embarrassing U-turn over his membership of an exclusive men-only private club.
Simon Case quit the Garrick Club on Wednesday, one day after claiming he had only joined it to help women become members.
Andrea Leadsom, the public health minister, made fun of the cabinet secretary’s “sudden wokeness”.
Speaking to Times Radio this morning, the senior Tory said: “I was slightly bemused to find that Simon Case has just discovered that it only takes men.
“So I think people are kind of looking to their sudden wokeness.
“I don’t know what’s going on there, but frankly, I don’t care. I wouldn’t want to join the Garrick.
She added: “And I’m certainly not interested in men’s decisions to feel good about themselves, what is that a hundred and, yeah, almost a hundred years on.”
As cabinet secretary, Case is the most senior civil servant in the country, and serves as one of Rishi Sunak’s top advisers.
On Tuesday he was asked during a Commons committee heating how his membership of the Garrick could be squared with his commitment to making the civil service more diverse.
He said: “My position on this one is also clear. 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.
“And by the way, maths is also part of this. Every one person who leaves who is in favour of fixing this antediluvian position, every one of us that leaves means these institutions don’t change.
“I think when you want reform you have to participate.”
The membership list of Garrick, in London’s west end, was revealed by The Guardian earlier this week.
MI6 boss Richard Moore has also resigned after facing criticism for being a member.
Other members of the club include Michael Gove, Jacob Rees-Mogg, Kwasi Kwarteng, deputy prime minister Oliver Dowden and Succession stars Brian Cox and Matthew McFadyen.