Only one in seven governance professionals at listed and private companies have confidence in the government’s regulatory reform agenda, according to the Chartered Governance Institute UK & Ireland’s Boardroom Bellwether 2026 survey.

The government’s consultation on modernising corporate reporting approaches its 30 November deadline, with proposals including revising company size thresholds and exemptions, ending the annual remuneration vote and making electronic shareholder communications the default.

Among respondents at listed and private companies, 62% are sceptical about the reforms, while 19% believe nothing meaningful will change. The survey suggests governance professionals favour targeted reform rather than wholesale deregulation. Two-thirds (66%) say regulation in their sector is about right, while 57% believe current reporting and regulatory requirements support effective governance to some extent.

Asked what would improve regulation, 70% of listed company respondents called for a more proportionate, risk-based approach, while 48% wanted less duplication of requirements and 36% called for better co-ordination between regulators. Some of these concerns are addressed by proposals in the consultation, including focusing annual reports on financially material information and moving disclosures online.

However, regulatory reform is only one pressure facing governance teams. Four in five respondents (81%) said the governance issues facing their organisation had increased over the past year, while just one in ten considered their governance function very well resourced. The survey also highlighted a gap in board-level oversight of emerging technology, with only 6.5% of respondents rating 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.”

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