- 26 October 2026
Boardroom Bellwether 2026 finds strong support for proportionate regulation among governance professionals in listed and private companies, but little confidence that reform will reduce the reporting burden in practice.
Only one in seven governance professionals in listed and private companies have confidence in the government’s regulatory reform agenda, according to Boardroom Bellwether 2026, the annual cross-sector survey of company secretaries and governance professionals published today by The Chartered Governance Institute UK & Ireland.
The findings come as the government’s consultation on Modernising Corporate Reporting enters its final weeks and the Chancellor signals a focus on reducing the pressures facing business, including the cost of regulation.
The consultation, which closes on 30 November, sets out proposals ranging from rationalising company size thresholds and exemptions to ending the annual remuneration vote and making electronic communication with shareholders the default.
Doubt is strongest among governance professionals in listed and private companies, which carry the most extensive reporting obligations. Of these respondents, 62% describe themselves as a little sceptical about the reform agenda and a further 19% believe nothing meaningful will change.
The survey shows little appetite for wholesale deregulation. Two-thirds of respondents (66%) say the level of regulation in their sector is about right, and 57% say current regulatory and reporting requirements support effective governance in practice at least to some extent. Asked which changes would most improve how regulation supports governance, 70% of listed company respondents chose more proportionate, risk-based regulation and 48% chose less duplication of regulatory requirements and over one third (36%) called for better co-ordination between regulators.
In their written responses, governance professionals described a reporting regime that has expanded piece by piece. One called for a “radical rethink of the annual report and AGM process,” describing both as “burdensome and not focused on key areas that matter to shareholders.” Another said reporting requirements “have grown by increments but no one has ever taken a holistic or proportionate view of what actually matters.” A third reported filing “about 80 (paper) copies of the PLC accounts”, adding: “surely a link would be preferable.”
Several of these concerns correspond to proposals now out for consultation, including refocusing the annual report on financially material information and moving disclosures online.
Regulation is one of several pressures on governance teams. Four in five respondents (81%) say the governance issues facing their organisation have increased over the past year, while only one in ten describe their governance function as very well resourced to meet them. The report also finds that just 6.5% of respondents rate their board’s capability to oversee artificial intelligence as strong.
Linda Ford, Chief Executive of The Chartered Governance Institute UK & Ireland, said:
“Governance professionals prepare the annual report and advise boards on what they must disclose, so they are well placed to see where the system works and where it adds cost without adding insight. These findings show clear support for proportionate regulation, but real doubt that reform will make a difference in practice.
“That confidence can be built. It will grow if the reforms are grounded in the practical reality of reporting and compliance, and the Modernising Corporate Reporting consultation is the opportunity to make sure they are. I would encourage every governance professional to respond before it closes on 30 November. The Institute will draw on these findings in its own response.”