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"...there is an urgent task to restore the health of the business. The RIBA is losing market share to ARB and membership, which should have been building steadily since the economy returned to growth, has been flat-lining."

I wonder if the RIBA ever stops analysing its member count and cold-calling those on the ARB register to see if they want to take advantage of a discounted RIBA membership and ever stop to think about features & benefits it is affording the person on the other end of the telephone?

I know I am not alone in saying that I am hugely underwhelmed by the output / offering of the RIBA, occasionally epitomised by some of the utterances and pronouncements of Mr. Rich himself - whose comments, in my opinion, generally demonstrated a deep disconnection with the situation being experienced by practicing architects 'on the ground'. I still remember his "get on your bike" brush-off of the 2008-2013 global recession / depression in 2008 (is it over, or is it in a vegetive state being kept on QE life support?), telling us not to worry, it would be just like the early 80s.

In 2015 Mr Rich became alerted to the fact that house prices in London were starting to get somewhat unaffordable - potentially out of reach for a project architect on £38K in the capital...

I'm not trying to single Mr Rich out for special treatment, but its this sort of low quality, unthinking stuff, along with mindless papers, committees for committees' sake that is so alienating for so many practicing architects who aspire to make great buildings and not talk about stuff or spend their lives on twitter.

Who can forget the RIBA's novel idea of pensioners in the future as global jet setters, desperately trying to burn through their huge pension pots, or volunteering as marketing ambassadors to UK seaside resorts? Or the vast number of competitions it has sponsored, seemingly with only a modicum of due diligence regarding outcome?

My impression of the RIBA at the moment is as a safe refuge for those who are not particularly notable for anything other than networking, and in a profession which acutely values brilliance, high-quality ideas and execution.

Until it can tackle these issues and work out a way to make the RIBA be perceived as an aspirational centre of excellence, I cannot see any short-term arrest to the decline in its membership.