Regulatory legitimacy in the European context: the British Health and Safety Executive

Regulators everywhere face problems in securing broad public support for their activities (see Baldwin and McCrudden 1987; Freedman 1978; Frug 1984; Mashaw 1983). Those who are controlled tend to resent the costs associated with regulatory compliance, politicians tend to vary in their support for regulation and the public is often uncertain as to the purposes of regulation and the effectiveness of the regulators in achieving it.