A Crisis of Accountability

Abstract

A concern with accountability is a natural consequence of the spread of public—private partnerships. Although, as the previous chapter has shown, concern about the motives of private sector actors involved in the provision of public services may often be misplaced, the lack of direct public accountability for such private and non-elected public actors means such concern will not go away. The difficulty of ascribing responsibility in the new system of governance in Britain is the focus of attention in this chapter.