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Michael Burton

Michael Burton

Michael Burton is editorial director of The MJ

Articles by Michael Burton

It's a buyers' market for jobs – if you're the right buyer

By Michael Burton | 06 October 2015

The local government jobs market is alive with activity. Michael Burton explores the exodus of se...

Kerslake insists he will remain politically neutral in review

By Michael Burton | 30 September 2015

Former Sheffield City Council chief executive and head of the civil service Lord Bob Kerslake, wh...

Shadow chancellor's small talk masks sector's problems

By Michael Burton | 30 September 2015

The Labour conference speech by new Shadow chancellor John McDonnell this week was surprisingly m...

Lord Kerslake to review Treasury role

By Michael Burton | 29 September 2015

Former Sheffield City Council chief executive and head of the civil service Lord Bob Kerslake has...

Make sure you have a reality check over devolution

By Michael Burton | 22 September 2015

Understandably, local authorities are exuberant about the devolution agenda dangled before them b...

Public finances are slowly getting better

By Michael Burton | 22 September 2015

Public finances continue to marginally improve though the total debt level has edged up over last...

How will local government look in the next five years?

By Michael Burton | 16 September 2015

Despite major change in the sector, in-house staff skills remain an obstacle to transformation ac...

Has the country had enough of Osborne's austerity?

By Michael Burton | 16 September 2015

Last week, former Cabinet secretary Lord Turnbull claimed austerity was a 'smokescreen' for a sma...

The Government must fully fund councils helping refugees

By Michael Burton | 10 September 2015

After last week’s storm over the refugee crisis it seems the rivers of Babylon are flooding throu...

Time to focus on our skills shortage - not immigration

By Michael Burton | 03 September 2015

The ‘debate’ about immigration sparked by last week’s record figures is not so much an exchange o...