Councils and devolved administrations are avoiding being blamed for service failures when lines of accountability are unclear, a poll reveals.
Research by PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) suggests when division of power is ‘murky’ and the public does not know who is in charge, citizens revert to holding central government responsible for the performance of public services at a national and local level.
However a poll of over 2,000 people by YouGov found there is a greater willingness to accept that responsibility for local performance lies with locally accountable bodies where devolution is clearly visible.
The Who’s accountable now report said the London mayor, Police and Crime Commissioners and the devolved assemblies in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland ‘stood out’ as transparent examples of devolution.
Further findings from the research suggest 43% of English respondents believe councils should have more power.
Dr Esmond Birnie, PwC chief economist in Northern Ireland said: ‘Perceptions of accountability change if decentralisation is well communicated, clearly enacted and if real powers are transferred to highly accountable bodies.
‘The survey results for the devolved regions do indicate that where there is transparency and visible accountability, people will hold decentralised and devolved bodies accountable for performance.
‘The results of this survey say less about the public appetite for a blame game and more about our need to raise the profile of who’s responsible and accountable, and for what.’
