Brown bunkered

You report (August 26) Gordon Brown posing the question in his inaugural Campbell Christie lecture whether the Royal & Ancient Golf Club should admit women to membership.

Overlooking the lurking political corollary – whether that should be enforced by legislation or not – the face-value answer is: only if the present members 
wish it. The relentless drive to impose equality in life, especially where it is not appropriate, denies the basic fact that humans are uniquely individual in character and entitled to come together socially and privately in whatever groupings they favour.

It would also be logical to presume that equality in such settings would be total, not selective in any way. That would disqualify separate ladies’ sections or competitions in the likes of sports organisations.

The policy of Mr Brown’s party, Labour, of setting aside parliamentary constituencies for women candidates is actually a denial of equality: it refuses men a basic democratic right, as well as denying certain electorates the option of a male candidate.

A common feature of our current society is the emergence of groups demanding various rights of representation, and it is worth bearing in mind in relation to equality in both civic and private associations that male/female is not the only classification division.

Robert Dow

Ormiston Road

Tranent