The decision by the RICS governing counsel to reject a properly submitted requisition from 901 members for an extraordinary general meeting moving a motion of no confidence in five senior executives was in many ways as ill-considered as it was predictable.
The trouble started after the approved mandate for Agenda for Change in 2000 when the then management made three decisions – to invest heavily in recruiting members in north America and China, and to invest in the stock market. Two years later the result is clear: played three, lost three.

Then came the first of two spectacular own goals. In May the RICS ran an EGM at short notice and gained the narrowest of majorities for an increase in fees of more than 32%. A chief executive or president with any business acumen would have told the treasurer to think again. The message was either "We are struggling for cash" or "We have a brand new product, well worth the money, as it will give added value to your business". Assuming it was not the first message that was intended, the second message ought to have continued: "And would you like to buy it?"

No such business case has been put forward.

So we now have this year's president, Nick Brooke, stating in the press that the reason why a validly called EGM requisition could not be considered was financial embarrassment. At least that was honest, but to then claim the RICS is a model of democracy is laughable.