Why bureaucrats can't always do what Ministers want: multiple accountabilities in Westminster democracies

Politicians and public servants are commonly depicted as being in a unilinear power relationship. However, senior officials are subject to accountability relationships with various central government authorities in addition to ministers. Multiple accountabilities can work at cross-purposes and prevent bureaucrats from complying with ministerial directions, however legitimate those directions may be. One aim of recent public management reform has been to do away with some of these accountabilities. But they have only been replaced by others. Multiple accountabilities are an inescapable part of the reality of government.