Chief executives should lobby Members of Parliament, ministers and civil servants to get their views across. That was the message from John Schultz in his presidential speech opening the SOLACE conference, this week.

The Stockport MBC chief executive said: ‘How often do we hear that ministers are all in favour of something, but have dropped the idea because they don't think they could swing the party behind them? ‘Just think what could be achieved if we were to exert concerted influence on a broad swathe of our MPs on carefully-selected topics?'