More than one in five companies on list of rebellions in 2017

More than a fifth of leading public companies suffered significant shareholder rebellions or withdrew contentious resolutions from their annual meetings during 2017.

Burberry, Pearson and WPP were among companies whose resolutions were opposed by 20% or more of shareholders, according to a list compiled by the Investment Association. Compass, Sky and AstraZeneca also appeared.

The number of companies hit by rebellions or that scrapped resolutions under shareholder pressure was 143 out of 648 in the FTSE All-Share index. The figure represents 22% of the total on the list.

Pay was top of the list for shareholder concerns with four out of ten resolutions on the list linked to remuneration reports, policies or other pay-related matters. A third of resolutions concerned a high vote against the re-election of a company director.

Publishing its first annual roster of companies that fell foul of investors, the Investment Association said it hoped public disclosure would prompt boards to rethink their approach.

Chris Cummings, the association's chief executive, said: "There are people there [on the list] that we all know. The fact that there are so many names is a bit of a wake-up call. There has been a view that companies can ignore the views of shareholders and somehow get away with it."

Speaking to the BBC, Cummings said: "We all know companies invest a great deal in managing their reputation. Some of the companies - Compass Group, Burberry and Sky - give a great deal of time to their reputation and going on a list like this will focus their minds."

The investment industry has responded to government pressure for a tougher line on corporate governance amid public disquiet over soaring pay for bosses while wider living standards fall.

Greg Clark, the business secretary, said: “Most companies are proactive and thoughtful in implementing responsible business practices but there are a minority of firms that threaten the world leading reputation of our business community. This will help to strengthen transparency and corporate accountability and build on our reputation as a world-leading business environment."