Share Power: How ordinary people can change the way that capitalism works and make money too

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Should companies care about climate change Should they be vanquishing the gender pay gap Should they be advancing human rights in their supply chains And if we think they should - can we, as ordinary people, bring about these sorts of changes

The answer is, technically, yes. In the UK, the majority of us now own shares in listed companies - whether that be through a stocks and shares ISA, a self-invested portfolio or a workplace pension scheme. What few people know is that every share comes with a vote in company decisions, over everything from executive pay to corporate strategy. The technology exists to allow us to vote - all we need to do is learn how to use it.

In Share Power, Merryn Somerset Webb, Editor-in-Chief of MoneyWeek, takes us deep into the world of corporate capitalism - from the privatisation of state-owned companies in the 1980s to the financial crash of 2008 and the growth of the modern multinational - to show us how capitalism went wrong and how, with six simple recommendations, every one of us now has the power to make it work for us.

Reviews

Merryn Somerset Webb makes a convincing case for public markets and greater shareholder democracy, shifting the balance of power from asset managers back to individual equity owners. A blueprint for reimagining capitalism in the post-Covid era.

* Lionel Barber, author and former editor of The Financial Times *
A lively and persuasive case for genuine shareholder democracy to make businesses properly accountable. * Mervyn King, former governor of the Bank of England *

This book is a lively, lucid, bracing and brilliantly forthright love letter to everyone who believes in the principles of democratic capitalism. It should be essential material for anyone who has a pension or investment account, or is a student of economics - and is a must-read challenge for the City of London and corporate leaders today.

* Gillian Tett, Financial Times columnist and author of Anthro-Vision *

How should we "reform" capitalism Merryn Somerset Webb, one of our best financial journalists, is a powerful and persuasive advocate of "shareholder democracy". With 11 million people owning shares, directly or indirectly, she argues it is time for the individual owners of Corporate UK to assert their rights and empower themselves. Her manifesto explains how this can be done and capitalism transformed.

* Norman Lamont, former Chancellor of the Exchequer *

Merryn is one of the clearest thinkers and communicators in finance. In this brilliant and concise book she explains why many people are disillusioned with capitalism; why they're wrong to be; and how we can make it even better and fairer than it already is. A must read.

* John Stepek, executive editor of MoneyWeek *
'A breezy, accessible and admirably brief summary of what the stock market is, how it works, and where it isn't working well enough.' * Robert Colvile, The Times *
Brimming with energy and hugely convincing - capitalism rescued in one short book. * Justin Webb, journalist and presenter on BBC Radio 4 Today Programme *
Merryn Somerset Webb combines deep knowledge of investment with accessibility, wit and an occasional swipe of the scalpel - she is incapable of writing a dull sentence. * Martin Vander Weyer, financial journalist and business editor of The Spectator *
Your power is in 'their' hands. Here is how to get it back. * Professor Russell Napier, author of The Solid Ground investment report and co-founder of the investment research portal ERIC *

Hurrah for Merryn Somerset Webb who tells it as it is! She points to a choice: 'do you want to be as rich as you dare, or do you want to see the world a better place For capitalism is like bleach; the more concentrated it is, the nastier it tastes. She takes no side, and gives practical advice to the votaries of both inclinations. Lesson no 1: votaries must vote!

* Jonathan Ruffer, investor and philanthropist *
This book not only asks and answers one of the most pressing questions of the day, it makes the solution seem achievable. If everyone read it, we might start making progress. * Caroline Law, Editor in chief of The Week *
Shares represent the partial ownership of human endeavour. As such they can grow in price as the ingenuity contained within the companies they represent, and can enrich their owners in a way that no other investments can. Merryn's book makes the case for shares better than any other I have read. Mandatory reading for all serious investors - and those who aspire to be investors. * Jim Mellon, Entrepreneur, Investor and Philanthropist *
Lively, intelligent and packed with revelations - Share Power explains why the stock markets could and should work for all of us, and how even the smallest of investors can make themselves heard. A copy of this book should be on the desk of anyone with a pension. * Allister Heath, Editor, The Sunday Telegraph *
How do we direct the leaders of the world's biggest companies to pay attention to the things we think they should be focusing on - innovation, equality, climate change Or even, dare I say it, profit Merryn Somerset Webb shows us how we could - and should - be exercising our influence through the shareholdings in our pensions and ISAs. * Professor Heather McGregor, CBE FRSE PFHEA, aka Mrs Moneypenny *

Author Bio

Merryn Somerset Webb is Editor in Chief of Moneyweek, the UK's best-selling financial magazine, as well as a Contributing Editor and weekly columnist at the Financial Times. Somerset Webb is also a non-executive director of several UK listed investment trusts and a regular media commentator and speaker on all things financial. She lives in Edinburgh.