Secret Freemasons groups for politicians and journalists ‘operating in Westminster’
1 min read
Secret Freemasons groups for politicians and journalists have been operating in Westminster, it has been reported.
According to The Guardian, the secret society has two arms established for people working on the parliamentary estate.
The newspaper revealed that the New Welcome Lodge is for MPs, peers and parliamentary staff, while Gallery Lodge is for political journalists with access to parliament, known as the lobby.
Freemasonry records show that both are still active.
It is understood that the New Welcome Lodge has 30 to 40 members, around four of which are MPs, while Gallery Lodge has 45 members.
David Staples, the chief executive of the United Grand Lodge of England (UGLE), the governing body for Freemasons in England and Wales, defended the secret society.
He said: “Contrary to populist perception, being a Freemason helps those members in roles serving society in the broader sense, including journalists, politicians, policemen and lawyers, to be better in those jobs by encouraging them to act as better people themselves.
"Their membership is a positive for both them as individuals, and for society at large."
A spokesman for the UGLE added: "None of the members who have joined either of these two lodges since 2000 have their occupation recorded as journalist or anything obviously linked to the newspaper industry."
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