John,
I have spoken to quite a few people since I posted yesterday.
It seems the worry about the affordability of subscriptions is coming from people who inherit their membership and/or want to pass on the priviledge to their youngsters. For a young married couple with two or three youngsters it can be a problem, maybe only solved by making sacrifices.
For a new couple joining with the same number of children it is not a problem. It is a decision. Can we afford to be members or not?
Nobody is in favour of the removal of inheritted membership – but this is the cost it comes with.
Tony