Why is the army's top brass waging war on private members' clubs?

The British Army – at its smallest size since we lost our American colonies in the 1770s – is facing the most challenging period in its history. More soldiers are leaving than joining. Why are they walking away? A sternly-worded letter from the Deputy Chief of the General Staff (DCGS), Lieutenant General David Eastman, rebuking colonels for their dealings with private members’ clubs, shows one reason why many are fed up with the Army.

Eastman is concerned that the Army’s intended status as a ‘modern, inclusive, and forward-thinking organisation’ might be undermined

Eastman is concerned that the Army’s intended status as a ‘modern, inclusive, and forward-thinking organisation’ may be undermined by ‘associations with private members’ clubs whose rules, policies, or cultural practices may n