Private opportunity, public benefit?

<p>The newly elected Labour government has pledged to 'Reinvigorate the Private Finance Initiative' as part of the new emphasis on 'Public/private partnerships' in the delivery of core public services. This article assesses the merits of using private finance to deliver public services against three criteria: whether it will lead to additional investment in social infrastructure, whether it represents good value for the taxpayer's money and whether the use of private finance will reduce the public sector's flexibility to pursue its public service objectives.</p>