A row has broken out at London's 202-year-old Athenaeum Club after its chairman, Sir Philip May, admitted Dame Alison Rose as a member despite objections from dozens of members. Dame Alison was forced to resign as NatWest chief executive in July 2023 after it emerged she was the source of an inaccurate story about Nigel Farage's finances, following the closure of his Coutts bank account amid the "debanking" scandal. Members argue her admission breaches the club's traditions, particularly its apolitical stance, and the dispute has widened into accusations that Sir Philip is pursuing a "woke agenda" within the historic institution.

Thirty members wrote to Sir Philip in February last year warning that Dame Alison was "unsuitable" and lacked the intellectual credentials traditionally required for membership, which is normally reserved for those eminent in the arts, science, politics or religion. The letter was reportedly ignored, prompting claims that she was admitted for her wealth and "woke credentials" rather than merit, with critics also accusing Sir Philip, husband of former prime minister Theresa May, of acting in a "dictatorial fashion". The row comes against the backdrop of the wider 2023 debanking scandal, after which the Financial Conduct Authority urged banks to improve treatment of politically exposed persons, and the then Conservative government changed the law in December 2023 to classify UK politicians as "inherently lower risk".