Author Profile

Graeme McDonald

Graeme McDonald

Director of the Society of Local Authority Chief Executives

Articles by Graeme McDonald

Many councils are finding their own solutions in a time of crises

By Graeme McDonald | 04 September 2023

The media has been full of negative stories about local government, says Graeme McDonald. A more...

Time for reflection on council failures

By Graeme McDonald | 17 July 2023

We should all recognise the need to improve standards in public life more broadly, not least as l...

We have a major opportunity to turn the economic tide

By Graeme McDonald | 05 June 2023

Giving councils statutory powers over economic development alongside the right funding would brin...

Tackling local government's leadership paradoxes

By Graeme McDonald | 25 April 2023

With many councils set for 'another set of politically volatile elections', Graeme McDonald turns...

We want to cast our recruitment net wide

By Graeme McDonald | 14 March 2023

Too often, recruitment specifications are narrowly focused on local government achievements, says...

We need to think smarter about age

By Graeme McDonald | 01 February 2023

There is no silver bullet that will solve local government’s workforce challenges but thinking sm...

Finance reform is the Christmas present we need

By Graeme McDonald | 30 November 2022

Delays in financial settlements and an absence of multi-year settlements have some very real cost...

Doing the basics right and doing them well

By Graeme McDonald | 18 October 2022

Those present at the Solace Summit in Birmingham relayed a sense of remarkable resilience in the ...

Without a standards system with teeth there is little deterrent

By ByGraeme McDonald | 06 September 2022

The appointment of a new Government presents an opportunity to refocus and set higher expectation...

We need a diverse pool of talent bubbling through

By Graeme McDonald | 26 July 2022

As Solace continues to cast a spotlight on the lack of diversity among the senior management of l...