We actively vote in a manner that allows us to focus our resources where we believe we can make the most difference. This may involve voting against management to help drive positive change.
As shareholders in companies we invest in on behalf of clients, we have the right to vote on how companies are run – and by whom.
View our voting record, stock by stock, here.
VOTING CASE STUDIES
To give you an idea of how voting works at Rathbones, here are examples, from our responsible investment report, of how and why we voted – and what happened.
VOTES AGAINST SLAVERY
About 50m people were trapped in modern slavery in 2021, according to the United Nations.
In a landmark piece of legislation, Section 54 (s54) of the UK Modern Slavery Act 2015 created a duty for companies to set out the steps they’ve taken to ensure modern slavery isn’t lurking in their businesses and wider supply chains.
In 2020 Rathbones launched Votes Against Slavery, a collaborative campaign that by 2024 involved 154 investors. Participants threaten to vote against a company’s annual financial statement and report if it’s failed to meet the demands of s54.
In 2022, the campaign won ‘Stewardship Initiative of the Year’ in the annual PRI awards.
Rathbones has made engagement with the government and other investors on the UK government’s new Modern Slavery Bill one of its engagement priorities for 2023.