Michael Burton
Michael Burton is editorial director of The MJ
Care recruitment 'car crash' warning
Ministers have been warned of an impending ‘car crash’ in care recruitment due to the numbers of extra staff needed to handle care package changes.
Lib Dem leader: Councils should be at heart of tackling cost of living crisis
Councils should be at the heart of action to tackle the cost of living crisis, Lib Dem leader Sir Ed Davey has said.
Burnham attacks Whitehall bidding culture
Central Government wastes more money than local government because of the bidding culture, Greater Manchester mayor Andy Burnham has claimed.
The clock is ticking on levelling up
There is no shortage of data to provide evidence of regional inequalities, just a shortage of time to show levelling up is more than just an election slogan and can save the skin of Boris Johnson, says Michael Burton.
Scots councils face four years of cuts
Scottish councils face four years of cuts under Spending Review plans outlined by Scotland’s finance minister Kate Forbes.
Affluent areas to lose out in care funding reforms
Local authorities in wealthier areas with higher levels of self-funded care home residents are likely to fare worse from planned changes to the funding regime, according to latest figures.
Finance figures reveal levelling up gap
Stark regional and national differences in public spending and tax income in 2020/21 are outlined in new analysis from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) showing London had both the highest spend and the smallest deficit per head of population.
Four out of five continue hybrid working
More than 80% of employees who worked from home during the pandemic intend to carry on with hybrid working, according to a study from the Office for National Statistics (ONS).
Queen's Speech: Levelling up bill unveiled for planning reform
The Queen’s Speech has confirmed a levelling up Bill will include legislation on planning and regeneration reform.
Hybrid working is here to stay
The end of the nine-to-five routine is driven by economic forces, not the indolent public sector workers of Jacob Rees-Mogg’s imagination, says Michael Burton.
Planning for the new workforce
Hybrid working and chronic shortages mean councils need to radically rethink their workforce strategies. Michael Burton talks to Gordon McFarlane, the new president of the association representing HR professionals, about what lies ahead.
Embedding service resilience in a post-pandemic world
What are the issues facing councils as they return to some form of post-pandemic normality and start to rebuild front line services? Michael Burton reports on a round table debate on the challenges to creating and maintaining service resilience.
Minister wades into flexible working debate
Civil servants have been told to get back to the office even as local government increasingly moves towards flexible working.
A national workforce strategy is needed to tackle skills shortage
With pay likely to remain stagnant and labour shortages to continue, local authorities need a robust workforce strategy with the full backing of central Government, says Michael Burton.
Levelling up: the digital challenge
The MJ and BT recently held a round table debate with nine leading council chief executives from the Midlands and the North to debate the challenges and opportunities from the digital revolution. Michael Burton reports.
Soaring vacancies and declining pay highlight sector crisis
Latest figures this week showing the soaring number of job vacancies coupled with declining public sector pay have highlighted the recruitment and retention crisis facing the local government sector.
Roney: Council chiefs proved worth during pandemic
Council chief executives proved their worth during the pandemic, the president of Solace Joanne Roney told her colleagues.
Bhaskar to host MJ Awards
The MJ is delighted to announce that comedian and actor Sanjeev Bhaskar is to be guest presenter at The MJ Awards gala lunch on June 24 in London, where he will announce the winners in 18 categories.
Inflation threatens council budget planning
The forecasts of 8.7% inflation at the end of the year threaten to dramatically change the public sector pay landscape, while Treasury chief secretary Simon Clarke insists that the Spending Review’s annual increases were the last, says Michael Burton.
'There's no more cash' warns Clarke
There will be no more cash to bail out public sector budgets hit by soaring inflation Treasury chief secretary Simon Clarke has warned.