Former minister Ben Wallace defended senior male politicians and civil servants who are members of a members club that excludes women today, saying they should be 'left alone'.

The ex-defence secretary spoke out after the heads of the civil service and MI6 resigned their membership of London's Garrick Club amid a sexism row.

Cabinet Secretary Simon Case and Sir Richard Moore both handed back their cards after the list of members was obtained by the Guardian and some names published, including them and the King.

But asked about the situation in an LBC interview today Mr Wallace, who is quitting the Commons at the next election, suggested the furore was overblown.

'I’m not, I don’t think, a member of any club at the moment,' the former Scots Guards officer said.

'I just wish people would all be left alone. If a whole load of men want to get together and have a club, it’s up to them. We have this round every few years and it’s the Garrick Club, there are plenty of all male clubs. There are actually all-female clubs out there right?

'Why can't we just leave each other alone? I haven’t lost any sleep whether the Garrick has men or women.

'It's not my business, I’m not a member of it but frankly I don’t think anyone is lesser for it.'

At a parliamentary committee on Tuesday, Mr Case suggested it was 'easier' to change the all-male organisation 'from within rather than chuck rocks from the outside'.

While giving evidence to MPs, Mr Case was asked by Labour's Liam Byrne whether he could 'foster a genuine culture of inclusiveness' in the civil service 'while being a member of an all-male club'.

Mr Case said: 'I have to say, my position on this one is clear - if you believe profoundly in reform of an institution, by and large it is easier to do if you join it and make the change from within, rather than chuck rocks from the outside.

'And by the way, maths is also part of this.

'Every one person who leaves who is in favour of fixing this antediluvian position, every one of us who leaves means these institutions don't change.

'I think when you want reform you have to participate.'

He added: 'I'm very sure I speak on behalf of all the public servants who have recently joined the Garrick under the banner of trying to make reform happen.'

But 24 hours later he resiened. 

Mr Case, who works closely with Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, stepped back from his Cabinet Secretary duties in October because of a medical matter, before returning to work in January.

Before being appointed Cabinet Secretary by former prime minister Boris Johnson in 2020, Mr Case served as private secretary to the then-Prince of Wales.

The Guardian reported that spymaster Sir Richard has also quit the club.