Help give Nationwide members a genuine choice in board elections

Nationwide members can nominate candidates for election to the board — but 250 valid nominations are required from eligible members for a candidate to be on the ballot.

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2 nominations* received for **2027** - thank you for your support

* 250 valid nominations are required. I was successfully nominated in 2026 and will appear on the ballot. Last year 350 nomination forms were delivered by the deadline, and 256 were deemed valid by Nationwide.

Every additional nomination helps secure a place on the ballot. I'm starting again for 2027 in case I'm not successfully elected in 2026.

Download Nomination Form

✔ One-page form
✔ Takes about 2 minutes
✔ Return by email

Submitting a nomination does not commit you to voting later. It simply allows the candidate to appear on the ballot.

A short message from James

Why this campaign

Nationwide is the UK’s largest building society and is owned by its members.

My objective is simple: to ensure members have a genuine choice in board elections and that the society benefits from strong governance, transparency and accountability.

There hasn't been a member-nominated candidate on the ballot or the Nationwide board for over 20 years.

Members have the right to nominate candidates for the board, but in practice this rarely happens because the rules require 250 nominations for a candidate to appear on the ballot.

Media coverage

The Times

"Nationwide’s poor voter turnout shows the feeling isn’t mutual"

Read article

“Nationwide is paying out £600m to its members. But should it be?”

Read article

The Guardian

“Nationwide building society’s members deserve real votes”

Read article

Daily Mail / This Is Money

“Nationwide forced to defend £50 takeover reward”

Read article

The Telegraph

“Nationwide faces member backlash over boardroom cronyism”

Read article

Financial Times

“What does it mean to be a building society member?

Read article
James Sherwin-Smith

About James Sherwin-Smith

James Sherwin-Smith is a Nationwide member and former Senior Vice President at Mastercard, where he worked for Vocalink, the company that builds and operates the UK's core payments systems.

Earlier in his career he worked as a consultant at Oliver Wyman, specialising in financial services and banking strategy. He has also written research on cooperative banking for the European Association of Co-operative Banks.

James believes mutual organisations work best when members have genuine representation, transparency and accountability. His aim is to ensure Nationwide members have a meaningful choice in board elections and that the society benefits from strong governance.

Are you eligible to nominate?

You are eligible to nominate if you are over 18 years old, and for the last 2 years: Download Nomination Form

How to nominate

1

Download the nomination form

2

Complete and sign Part B

3

Email or post the signed page

Deadline: 1st September 2026

Forms must be delivered to Nationwide before the end of the financial year (31st March). I want to capitalise on recent momentum and deliver the necessary nominations for 2027 way in advance. Please return your form to James by 1st September 2026.

Download Nomination Form

Help give Nationwide members a genuine choice

Download Nomination Form

Please email completed forms to James at: