A revised UK Corporate Governance Code was issued by the Financial Reporting Council in January 2024 and applies to reporting years starting on or after 1 January 2025 (N.B. Provision 29 will apply from 1 January 2026). In the meantime, the 2018 Code remains in place. The Code is addressed to publicly quoted companies but building societies are encouraged by the regulator to have regard to the Code.

This BSA guidance is intended to assist building societies in having ‘regard to’ the Code. It does not prescribe any particular course of action. Nor is the Code itself prescriptive. Rather, it follows a ‘comply or explain’ approach, whereby listed public companies are encouraged to comply with the Code and, where applicable, to explain in their annual report why they have not complied with a particular provision.

The guidance for building societies follows a ‘by exception’ approach, in that it refers only to those elements of the Code which are either not considered to be relevant to building societies, or which raise particular issues for building societies considered worthy of discussion. The guidance is in the form of text boxes, inserted within the relevant sections of the Code. Links to the 2018 and 2024 Codes and BSA Guidance on both versions are set out below:
 

FRC Corporate Governance Code 2018

BSA Guidance on the UK Corporate Governance Code 2018

FRC Corporate Governance Code 2024 (applies to reporting years after 1 Jan 2025)

BSA Guidance on the UK Corporate Governance Code 2024