BP ballot row: a test for UK shareholder democracy?

Sarah Wilson, chief executive officer of British proxy adviser Minerva Analytics, has said that the absence of any explanation is at the heart of the issue and argues that BP has created a problem of its own making. They should have just been transparent. What is the problem with explaining?” she said. “They have just shot themselves in the foot. The automatic putting up of the shutters is going to make more of an issue, not less,” Wilson added. For her, the lack of explanation is not in keeping with the spirit of the UK Corporate Governance Code and particularly its ‘comply or explain’ principle.