A personal statement ahead of the 2026 AGM
Posted on LinkedIn, 9 July 2026.
My thanks to Mark Kleinman, City Editor Sky News for this piece published today in City AM: Mark Kleinman: Nationwide’s pride should be dented by member election bid (City AM).
I stand behind what I have said on this matter – and yes I do have a recording of the call.
[UPDATED: My thanks also to ShareSoc, who posted this briefing note the same day: Nationwide’s AGM: use your vote, and make it your own (ShareSoc).]
I may not be successful in my bid for a Board seat as a Member Nominated Candidate next week. I anticipate Nationwide Building Society knows the expected result already, as it likely gets a regular update on the count of the voting instructions – the Chairman receives these as the default appointed representative ahead of the online only AGM. (I’ve asked the question whether I could also receive such updates, but Nationwide and the “independent scrutineer” Civica Election Services have refused to answer.)
Whether I inflict – as Mark puts it – “a bloody nose” remains to be seen. I don’t seek to harm the society or the sector that I cherish. My view is that any wounding is entirely self-inflicted, regrettable and could have easily been avoided at multiple junctures. I didn’t choose this path. It was all that was left to me. In the face of adversity, I lean in, not out.
And I don’t know what price I will pay.
I hope that when this year’s AGM process concludes, I have achieved at least some of my aims – to increase Member engagement and to represent Members’ interests. I will continue to fight for better governance standards in the building society sector. And I hope, in time, more people will understand what is happening at the top of the societies they own – and similarly ask difficult questions.
The best result would be that Nationwide, BuildingSocieties and those that lobby for them don’t just talk the talk on #mutuality – but actually walk it as best they can.
To say we are MemberOwned is one thing, to live it everyday is another.