Pressure is growing on Muirfield Golf Club to reverse its controversial decision to not accept female members.
Senior politicians, including First Minister Nicola Sturgeon and Prime Minister David Cameron, have joined top golfers in condemning the result of the members’ ballot.
Scottish Labour’s Iain Gray has demanded the East Lothian club, which has been barred from holding the Open Championship as a result, reverse the “disappointing” verdict.
The former party leader has now lodged a motion with parliament arguing that “every golf club in Scotland has a duty to be inclusive and reflect modern society and that to do so clubs need to be open to both male and female golfers”.
East Lothian’s SNP MP George Kerevan added: “I keep saying the reputational damage to Muirfield itself is so dreadful.
“I think the members, now they’ve woken up to these headlines, they’ll be thinking ‘oh we got that wrong’. There’ll be a lot of discussion.
“So let’s have another vote as soon as we can and get this off the table and get on with golf.”
Meanwhile, veteran golf commentator Peter Alliss suggested women who wanted to join Muirfield should “get married to someone who’s a member”.
The 85-year-old said: “The women who are there are wives of husbands. They get all the facilities. If somebody wants to join, you’d better get married to someone who’s a member.”
Mr Alliss added: “I believe clubs were formed years ago by people of like spirit – doctors, lawyers, accountants, bakers, butchers, whatever they like.
“And they joined in like spirit to talk amongst them and to do whatever. I want to join the WVS (Women’s Voluntary Service) but unless I have a few bits and pieces nipped away on my body I’m not going to be able to get in.”
A ballot was held at the East Lothian club at the end of a two-year consultation on membership but failed to return the two-thirds majority of its 648 eligible voters required to change policy.
In response to Mr Alliss’s comments, David McCullough, chief executive of Royal Voluntary Service, said Women’s Royal Voluntary Service (WRVS) had changed its name in 2013 to reflect the fact it does not just want female volunteers.
