Public confidence in partnerships between the public and private sector has been shaken recently.
High profile failings like the collapse of Carillion have exposed flaws in the business models of some companies which deliver public services, but extract rather than create value.
With austerity as a backdrop driving the need for cost-cutting, contracting with the private sector may have been viewed as the “cheaper” option.
But the public sector – via the taxpayer – ultimately picks up the costs for failed contracts further down the line.