MUIRFIELD GOLF CLUB DECISION TO EXCLUDE WOMEN MEMBERS

That this House condemns the decision by the all-male Honourable Company of Edinburgh Golfers, Muirfield Golf Club, to vote to continue to exclude women from full membership; notes that while a majority of members did support a change to the club’s rules, regrettably a small minority were able to block the two-thirds vote required to admit female members; further notes that as a result of this retrograde step, the sport’s governing body, the R&A at St Andrews, has said that Muirfield will no longer be eligible to host the Open Championship; further condemns this decision for sending entirely the wrong message to the rest of the world regarding Scottish society, as well as undermining years of collective effort and public support to attract visitors to Scotland’s historic golf coast in East Lothian; condemns the decision for signalling to women that their interest in golf is being discouraged, while it sends a very wrong message to young men about treating women as equals; calls on the club to continue internal discussions and hold a second ballot to allow full membership to everyone regardless of sex; and calls on the Sports Ministers of the UK and devolved administrations to boycott future events held at Muirfield until this happens.