I cannot see the reasoning behind a glider pilot flying IMC without IMC or IR quite legally whereas the powered a/c pilot cannot. Not suggesting more regulation just would like to know the reasoning.
I think it all comes down to history. Gliding in this country was never formally licenced (not sure what the situation is now), whereas powered flght always has been (except in the very beginning of course). Powered flight gives you the ability to go where you want without relying on the lift available, whereas gliders need to use any lift available. Certainly in the pre and early post war days this meant thermals and cloud flight to use the thermal to its limit. Back then wave wasn't really understood and ridge soaring was quite obviously localised. Also private and even commercial transport tended not to fly in IMC so gliders were the only ones likely to be in cloud anyway. Once a precidence is set it is not easy to remove. This is especially true when there is no evidence of realised danger to take a priviledge away. I suppose the CAA decided that gliders could be excused a formal rating as there was no licence to attach it to, and as few accidents have occured, why change things?
Incidently, Cu nims had a slight problem back then, in that the lift often outpaced the gliders ability to dive, so the odd pilot quite literally got sucked up to his death!
SS