Toby Young's Bid to Join Savile Club Reportedly Blocked

Writer and free speech advocate Toby Young has reportedly been denied membership to the exclusive Savile Club in Mayfair, London. According to sources, Young, a member of the House of Lords, was blackballed from the £2,000-a-year gentlemen's club, with one insider suggesting his conservative politics were the reason.

Young, who was nominated for a peerage in 2024 by Kemi Badenoch, had garnered significant support from younger members of the Savile Club, with scores of signatures reportedly in his favor. However, a faction of older, liberal lawyers is said to have opposed his application. "I think he may have been blocked by a couple of older, Lefty lawyers. So much for free speech," a source told the Daily Mail.

The Savile Club, known for its elegant rooms that have featured in "Downton Abbey," has recently faced scrutiny for its membership policies. Last year, the club voted against admitting women as members.

This alleged rejection comes as Young, 62, has established himself as a prominent figure in the free speech movement. He founded the Free Speech Union and the Daily Sceptic, and previously led the first free schools outside of local authority control. His career has been marked by outspokenness, similar to his time in New York, where an incident at Vanity Fair led to his best-selling book "How To Lose Friends & Alienate People."

When reached for comment, Lord Young declined to discuss the matter, stating, "Even though I’m not a member of the Savile, I respect the rule of Omerta nevertheless."