Chief executives are out of touch with the public's stance on immigration and race issues, according to Ipsos MORI's Ben Page.

Latest polls from the firm found SOLACE members didn't think immigration was as much of a problem as the public do. The council bosses are also more likely to think migrants are good for the economy and that they fill the jobs no-one else wants. In addition, SOLACE members are more likely to see multi-culturism as a good thing than the general public do.

Only 48% of the public think they should have a say over public services, compared with 68% of SOLACE members. Fifty per cent of the public, and 32% of SOLACE members think public service managers should make decisions for them.

The public are also far more likely to want uniform standards of public services than SOLACE members, who in turn, prefer minimum standards.