Reform Club - History

History

The club was founded in 1836 by Edward Ellice, MP for Coventry and Whig Whip, whose riches came from the Hudson's Bay Company but whose zeal was chiefly devoted to securing the passage of the Reform Act 1832. The new club, for members of both Houses of Parliament, was intended to be a centre for the radical ideas which that Bill represented: a bastion of liberal and progressive thought that became closely associated with the Liberal Party, which largely succeeded the Whigs in the later 19th century.

Brooks's Club, the headquarters of the old Whig aristocracy, was neither able nor prepared to open its doors to a flood of new men, so preliminary meetings were held at Ellice's house to plan a much larger club, which would promote 'the social intercourse of the reformers of the United Kingdom'. When a Liberal Member of Parliament 'crossed the floor' to join or work with another party, it was expected he should resign from the club. The Club no longer represents any particular political view, being a purely social venue.

Until the decline of the Liberal Party in the early 20th century, it was de rigueur for Liberal MPs and Peers to be members of the Reform Club, being regarded as an unofficial party headquarters. However, the National Liberal Club, formed under William Ewart Gladstone's chairmanship, was established in 1882, designed to be more "inclusive", and was geared more towards Liberal grandees and activists throughout the country.

The Reform Club's building was designed by Sir Charles Barry and opened in 1841. This new club was palatial, the design being based on the Farnese Palace in Rome, and its saloon is regarded as the finest room of all London clubs. The Reform was among the first senior London clubs to have bedrooms (known as chambers), and its library contains over 75,000 books, mostly of a political, historical and biographical nature; traditionally, members donate a copy of any book they write to the club's library, ever increasing its stock.

After World War II and with the Liberal Party's decline, the club increasingly drew its membership from civil servants, in particular those from the Treasury, whereas the neighbouring Travellers Club became synonymous with Foreign Office officials.

The club maintains a comprehensive list of guest speakers and musical ensembles throughout the year--for example, Nick Clegg and Theresa May in 2011, and Archbishop John Sentamu in 2012.