Michael Keating is currently on secondment to Local Government Improvement and Development as the National Adviser for Equalities and Cohesion. Michael leads on the Local Government Improvement and Development's contribution on strategic issues affecting equalities and community cohesion within local government. He is also leading on the development and implementation of the Equality Framework for Local Government and other public sector Frameworks.

Michael’s substantive role is the Service Head, Scrutiny and Equalities, at the London Borough of Tower Hamlets where he has worked from 2003. During that time Michael had responsibility for reshaping the council's Overview and Scrutiny service, developing a corporate performance management team and also managing the third sector and equalities teams. In 2007 he created the Scrutiny and Equalities service. By marrying the key policy and delivery agendas of community leadership and partnership the service works to ensure scrutiny + equalities = community cohesion. Between 1994 and 2002 Michael was an elected member and has also previously worked in higher education and the NHS.