The RICS governing council this week vetoed a proposed EGM to discuss a 32% increase in membership fees
President Nick Brooke confirmed the move to RICS members in a letter after the governing council met on Tuesday. He added that the proposed fee increase would go through.

The move sparked an angry response from rebel leader Jeremy Hackett, of QS Schofield Lothian, who collected the signatures needed for the EGM earlier this month.

Hackett described the decision as a "total cop-out" and said that members who had yet to pay their subscriptions (the deadline for paying is 31 March) should hold firm and refuse to pay.

It is not prudent to our members at large 鈥� We have a problem spending 拢100,000 on an EGM

Nick Brooke, RICS president

He said: "If they want to expel a large percentage of membership, let them expel us. Either it is democracy with members driving the organisation or else it's an oligarchy run on cabinet office lines."

Speaking to 黑洞社区 on Wednesday, Brooke denied the move was a cop-out. Brooke said that concerns raised by Hackett would be covered by his "Brooke Review" into the structure and workings of the RICS.