Lady Sharon White loses the John Lewis crew vote

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To quote the poet Vivian Green, she said, “Life isn’t about waiting for the storm to pass, it’s about learning to dance in the rain.”

Dame Sharon added, “I love this quote. It says, in other words, that it’s not the difficult moments themselves, it’s how you respond to those difficult moments that really matter. It’s a real test of your strength and the strength of your partnership.”

Members of the Staff Council are elected by John Lewis employees who jointly own the company.

The council votes on the president’s performance twice a year, although the wording of the motions is not always the same and the results are not always made public.

Asked on Wednesday if he had confidence in the progress of the partnership led by Mrs. Sharon over the past year, the council voted that he disagreed.

When asked if he supported her efforts to advance the partnership with regard to its purpose, principles and rules, he voted in the affirmative.

John Lewis declined to say how close each vote was.

Although the votes are not binding, they are expected to increase scrutiny of Ms. Sharon’s performance as she races to revive the partnership.

Chris Earnshaw, chair of the council, said, “The council voted in favor of the president to advance the partnership on its objectives, principles and rules.

“The board did not support last year’s performance, as we reported a loss for a full year and no partner bonus.”

He said the meeting was “central to how we practice our democratic principles and business ownership.”

Analysts questioned the decision to announce the vote result at a time when Mrs. Sharon is already facing pressure about her strategy.

Mr Black said: “It’s like washing dirty linen in public when most private companies won’t take up such an offer.

“I’m sure it’s going to be a really disappointing day for Sharon and you have to hope that the team regroups and starts heading in the right direction together, because if they keep going like this, they’re going to implode.”

A John Lewis spokesperson said: “No one in our business was happy with last year’s performance and the board was able to share that view – it shows the success of our democracy.

“There is no rebellion and everyone is focused on coming together to improve our business for customers.”

John Lewis has been battling inflation for the past year, which Dame Sharon said “hit like a hurricane.”

The company was racing to strip £600m of extra costs after losses ballooned to more than £230m in its most recent financial year.

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