James Sherwin-Smith @26Left

Thank you @CooperativesUK for hosting me on Friday - I had to edit my badge as it said @AskNationwide Building Society! I loved the Day 1 energy and content, I hope Day 2 was also a success. I know how much works goes into preparing and hosting events like these - so CONGRATS to all. It was a pleasure to talk with Andrea Melville (CEO) and Maria Cearns (COO) @CooperativeBank as part of the Customer Union (saveourbank.coop) event. Refreshing to see the C-suite of a household name meet with customers (and soon-to-be-member owners) and take their questions head on. 👏 A pleasure to met and connect with others representing the #Cooperative movement including @CoopParty, amongst others. #CoopCongress

Co-operatives UK @CooperativesUK

2 days ago

Day one of #CoopCongress had it all. A standing ovation for Tony Walsh. A major announcement from Rachel Blake MP: government will appoint a new mutual and co-operative sector champion. And big conversations on power, ownership, trust, tech, policy and the future of co-operation.

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Boo, no Qsuites? Hope you get some good rest, I know how hard you guys work. By the way - I’ve always wondered why Oscar Mike Delta for @Nomadic_OMD ? Did you pick it? So far I’ve come up with Only Make Deliveries Obscure Maintenance Destinations Occasional Massive Diversions Outstanding Media Distribution

TWELVE* ways @AskNationwide’s Board has biased an election of 9.3 million people against me – and some notable🥇Firsts along the way Inspired by Alan, a new supporter I’ve never met, who gets it. Be more Alan. [*there might be more] BTW I’m seeking to become the first #MemberNominated and Elected #BoardDirector at #Nationwide since 2002. My radical, dangerous ideas (the Board is recommending Members vote *against* my candidacy) : • increase Member #representation and #engagement • greater #transparency • more #accountability • true #democracy and • good #governance. If you’re a Nationwide member/customer, you’re likely also an owner who can vote. Please consider Voting for me. But make sure you DO NOT USE THE QUICK VOTE, because the Board is using this ‘one simple trick’ to gather votes For them, and Against me (87% of voters used the #QuickVote last year). james4nationwide.co.uk/12-ways-nation…

Yes it was very kind of the EST @RNBlake to take some time out her busy schedule to address the #CoopCongress yesterday. Great to have @hmtreasury support for the sector. I had hoped to speak with the Minister about these questions regarding "emerging #governance issues in #buildingsociety sector" as raised by @NavPMishra, but unfortunately she didn't have enough time. james4nationwide.co.uk/3-questions-1-…

@coop_finance Yesterday was so good! Thanks to all the team - and hope Day 2 Saturday and the #NationalYouthSummit is another BIG success. #CoopCongress

.@AoDespair & @WendellPierce long time follower and fan of your respective work, particularly #TheWire 🚨 & #Treme 🎺. Both got me through some low times. Would really appreciate any help you can offer fighting for stronger democratic rights for members of the world’s largest building society, @AskNationwide in the UK. This David v £400bn Goliath fight means I need to mobilise 9.3m eligible voters. Last year <8% voted, and 87% of them used a device called the #QuickVote. The QV is a single check box at the top of the ballot that gives all your voting power to the Chairman of the Board. This year that means a vote ‘Against’ me and ‘For’ the Board’s own candidates. I’m the first person in over 20 years to provide a choice on the ballot, representing ordinarily members as their own member-nominated candidate. Learn more at James4Nationwide.co.uk Would really appreciate a RT, and in return I’ll gladly send you a T-shirt, cap, mug whatever with the below DNUTQV slogan as a thank you. “A man must have a code.” Go well.

@veryfathomer Thank you for your vote. I agree, and totally understand. It doesn’t sit well with me that the Fairer Share is paid to 1/4 of Members - and coincides with the AGM voting period. It wasn’t put to a vote either - yet in 2007 a vote was required to donate 1% of profits to charity.

Thanks. But voting doesn’t close for another month - eVotes and paper ballots must be delivered by 13 *July* 2026 at 10.30am. Alternatively you can vote at the #VirtualOnlyAGM starting 11am on 15 July. If you’d like to vote for me, the first member nominated candidate on the ballot since 2005, you can find out more at James4Nationwide.co.uk

𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐡𝐚𝐬 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐝 𝐚𝐭 𝐍𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐰𝐢𝐝𝐞 𝐁𝐮𝐢𝐥𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐒𝐨𝐜𝐢𝐞𝐭𝐲 𝐛𝐞𝐭𝐰𝐞𝐞𝐧 now 𝐚𝐧𝐝 2003?🕵️ 𝐈𝐧 2003, Nationwide 𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐨𝐰𝐞𝐝 #membernominated Candidates to include website addresses, email addresses, telephone numbers and postal contact details in their #election addresses. 𝐈𝐧 2026, #Nationwide 𝐫𝐞𝐦𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐝 the website addresses and QR code from my Election Address 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘵 permission. Nationwide refused my own revision, including the key phrase "𝐃𝐎 𝐍𝐎𝐓 𝐔𝐒𝐄 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐐𝐔𝐈𝐂𝐊 𝐕𝐎𝐓𝐄", after it decided to "weaponise" the #quickvote 𝐚𝐠𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐬𝐭 me for the 𝐟𝐢𝐫𝐬𝐭 𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐞 in history. I have repeatedly asked @AskNationwide to explain the legal basis for this and am yet to receive a satisfactory answer. I have also asked @TheFCA, as the #MutualSocieties Regulator, to investigate the legality of this. This press release sets out the facts and supporting evidence: 🔗 james4nationwide.co.uk/category/press… This is 𝐛𝐢𝐠𝐠𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐧 𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐜𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐝𝐚𝐭𝐞 or one #election. It's about how much control the management and Board of a #Memberowned organisation should have over the information #Members receive from candidates seeking election to its Board. 🗳️ 𝐈𝐟 𝐲𝐨𝐮'𝐫𝐞 𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 9.3 𝐦𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐢𝐛𝐥𝐞 𝐍𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐰𝐢𝐝𝐞 𝐌𝐞𝐦𝐛𝐞𝐫𝐬, please 𝐕𝐎𝐓𝐄. 📢If you're not, please 𝐓𝐄𝐋𝐋 𝐘𝐎𝐔𝐑 𝐍𝐄𝐓𝐖𝐎𝐑𝐊. Anyone in your payment history with a 07-XX-XX sort code is likely a 𝐍𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐰𝐢𝐝𝐞 𝐌𝐞𝐦𝐛𝐞𝐫.

Two articles in @thetimes today. The first Member Nominated Candidate to reach a @AskNationwide ballot in more than 20 years. The Financial Editor of The Times @Benjaminwmartin says Nationwide has "tilted the playing field" against me. #Voting papers begin landing with Members next week - DO NOT USE THE QUICK VOTE. This campaign is no longer just about one candidate. It's about whether #MemberOwned organisations genuinely listen to the people who own them. If you believe Members deserve a real choice: ✅ Subscribe for campaign updates ✅ Share the campaign with other Nationwide Members ✅ Vote when your ballot arrives Join us: james4nationwide.co.uk/social-media-t… #Nationwide #MemberVoice #Mutuals #CorporateGovernance

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🚨 NEW: @AskNationwide election dispute escalates just days before voting begins Today I issued a press release highlighting four key concerns: 1. Nationwide Building Society refused my request to append a message to my Election Address to warn Members not to use #QuickVote if they wish to support my election. 2. The Board has decided to recommend Members vote AGAINST my candidacy while continuing to use Quick Vote. 3. Nationwide removed my website address and QR code from my Election Address without my permission. 4. The Financial Conduct Authority is still considering questions about this just days before voting materials begin arriving from Monday, 8th June. This isn't about individuals. It's about #fairness, #governance, #transparency and whether #Members of a #mutual organisation have a genuine opportunity to elect one of their own to the Board. Read the full press release: 🔗 james4nationwide.co.uk/member-candida… #Nationwide #AGM #BuildingSocieties #CorporateGovernance #MemberVoice #James4Nationwide #HaveYourSay #VOTE

Battling the #BuildingSocieties — and Why We Must Win 📅 Tuesday 9th June 🕕 6:00pm (Zoom) 🎟 Free to attend (registration required) I’ll be joining Andy Agathangelou, founder of the @TransparencyTF , next Tuesday for a deep-dive discussion into #governance, #democracy and #accountability inside the UK #mutual sector. james4nationwide.co.uk/battling-the-b…?

Three questions, 1 (non) answer. Last month, Navendu Mishra MP submitted three important written Parliamentary Questions to @hmtreasury about the future #governance of #BuildingSocieties: 1️⃣ The use of Virtual-only AGMs 2️⃣ Member Nominated Directors on boards 3️⃣ Binding votes on ExecutivePay. Yesterday, all three received exactly the same response from the Economic Secretary to the Treasury. "The Government has no current plans to introduce prescriptive requirements in these areas, but will continue to keep the framework under review as part of its broader work to support mutuals.” I will be writing to Rachel Blake MP to request a meeting to discuss these issues further. We are both due to attend @CooperativesUK Congress 2026 in Birmingham later this month, which seems an appropriate opportunity for a constructive discussion about the future of mutual governance in the UK. james4nationwide.co.uk/3-questions-1-… #Mutuals #MemberOwned #MemberOwnership #Democracy #FinancialServices #AGM #ExecutivePay #CooperativeCongress2026 #VirtualOnlyAGM #AGM

Update: @theFCA has now formally acknowledged my request for urgent intervention regarding the fairness of @askNationwide's 2026 Board election process. “We are aware of the urgency of your request and we will respond fully as soon as we are able.” My thanks to @theFCA for acknowledging this so quicky, after I filed a concern on Saturday morning after #Nationwide finally denied my requests by email at 18:11 Friday evening. This is now fundamentally about whether Members in a #mutual organisation are entitled to a fair election process and an unaltered #Election Address under the #BuildingSocieties Act. See if you can #SpotTheDifference in the attached: (A) is as per my website (21 April 2026) on the basis that the Board would suspend the Quick Vote, vs. (B) is what I requested, given the Board has not only kept the #QuickVote, but also used it to gather votes from Members AGAINST me. Further updates will follow here: james4nationwide.co.uk/member-nominat…

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I’m grateful to Jasper Jolly at The Guardian for today's piece surrounding this year’s Board election process. james4nationwide.co.uk/nationwide-cus… Nationwide has refused my request to amend my Election Address to inform Members about the implications of using the Board-backed #QuickVote system (which I believe is the first time it has been used in the UK to vote AGAINST a candidate). At the same time, edits have been made to my Election Address by Nationwide without my approval. I have not seen a proof copy after they have edited it. This appears contrary to the Building Societies Act (1986), Section 61, so I have written to Dominic Cashman and the Mutual Societies team @TheFCA asking them to review how @AskNationwide is planning to present my candidacy to the Membership. More here: james4nationwide.co.uk/member-nominat…

"I'm not surprised, I'm just disappointed." @askNationwide has now formally confirmed that it will NOT recommend my candidacy for election to its Board — and will actively deploy its “#quickvote” mechanism AGAINST the only independent Member Nominated Candidate in this year’s election - and since the Quick Vote was introduced in 2006. This matters because 87% of votes last year were cast using the Quick Vote, which appears prominently at the top of the voting form and effectively encourages #Members to endorse the Board’s preferred slate wholesale. The result is a significant structural disadvantage for any genuinely independent candidate seeking to represent Members. It risks establishing a dangerous precedent for #democratic #governance in any #MemberOwned or #mutual organisation. From 8 June, ballot papers begin landing with 9.1 million eligible Nationwide Members. The campaign now moves from awareness to *action*. If you believe Nationwide #Members should have meaningful democratic choice and independent representation, please: * DO NOT use Quick Vote * ⁠Vote deliberately and individually based on the candidate information provided * ⁠Help spread awareness before voting closes on 15th July The issue has already attracted coverage in @thetimes and @CityAM, both highlighting concerns about the fairness of the election process. Full update and supporter briefing here: james4nationwide.co.uk/nationwide-boa… #Nationwide #mutuals #CorporateGovernance #BuildingSocieties #MemberVoice #FinancialServices #quickvote #AGM #Ballot

Today’s coverage in The Times highlights a simple but important issue at the heart of this year’s @askNationwide Building Society board election: #transparency and fair #memberengagement. I’m proud to have become the first Member Nominated Candidate to reach the ballot at #Nationwide in over 20 years. But key decisions about the conduct of the #election — including whether the board will recommend my candidacy and how the vote itself will operate — have been unresolved for some time. For a #mutual organisation owned by its #members, #openness and proper scrutiny matter. This election is bigger than one candidate. It raises important questions about #governance, #accountability and the role members should play in the future of #mutuals. Thank you to everyone who has supported the campaign so far. More info here: James4Nationwide.co.uk/elect-james #Nationwide #mutuals #CorporateGovernance #BuildingSocieties #MemberVoice #FinancialServices

A good mutual should welcome scrutiny. @CityAM’s @samnormanwrites has written a thoughtful column on my campaign to bring greater #transparency, #accountability and #member #Democracy to @AskNationwide Building Society’s boardroom. The piece covers some of the key issues at stake ahead of this year’s #AGM: - the governance questions surrounding the Virgin Money acquisition, - the lack of a physical AGM for members, - the use of the “Quick Vote” mechanism, - and the broader question of how democratic a mutual organisation should really be. As I said on City AM’s #BusinessAsUsual #podcast this week, I have issue when mutuals present their remuneration report without a binding vote i.e. “pay us like bankers but don’t hold us accountable like bankers”. If members are the owners, then meaningful scrutiny and engagement matter. Listen to the podcast here: youtu.be/DLcJlfI0A2k?si… With AGM voting approaching, I remain focused on ensuring Nationwide’s 16 million members are properly heard in the governance of the society they own. #Nationwide #Mutuals #CorporateGovernance #BuildingSocieties #Banking #Democracy #AGM #VirginMoney #Governance #memberOwned Read the article here: cityam.com/an-inspector-c…

Thank you for the opportunity and the great questions

My thanks to @samnormanwrites and the @CityAM team for the coverage on their #BusinessAsUsual podcast today. We talk about the need for greater #transparency into the @VirginMoney integration, the #FairerShare payments announced last week, and the terms on which I am seeking #election to board of @AskNationwide Building Society which are still yet to be decided / communicated ahead of the 2026 #VirtualOnlyAGM. You can listen to via YouTube below (starts 3m32s) or podcast platforms: Spotify: open.spotify.com/episode/23iKLF… Apple: podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the… Youtube: youtu.be/DLcJlfI0A2k?si… #Nationwide #membership #mutual #MemberOwned #democracy #voting