New forms of local accountability: coming to terms with 'many hands'?

The transformation of many western liberal democracies in the late 20th century has had important implications for the practice of public accountability, compounding the problem of 'many hands'. This article considers developments in academic debate and discusses how traditional modes of vertical accountability can be augmented by new horizontal mechanisms. New Labour's approach to local 'modernisation' in England is examined, including, but going beyond, local government, to consider new institutions that seek to 'join up' local action. The article concludes that to manage the problem of 'many hands' requires specific intervention from local government in its community leadership role.