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Prime Minister Starmer visited north Wales this past Thursday to announce the building of a new nuclear power station. This represents a major policy announcement with implications at local and countrywide levels. Yet, the prime minister did not devote much time in Wales to promoting answers for the UK's power requirements. Rather, he spent it attempting to draw a line under the briefing controversy within Labour's leadership, telling reporters that Downing Street had not briefed against the health secretary’s ambitions in recent days.

As such, Sir Keir’s day acted as a small-scale example of what his prime ministership has now become more generally. Firstly, he desires his government to be doing, and to be seen to be doing, significant actions. On the other hand, he is unable to accomplish this due to the way he – and, to an extent, the nation as a whole – now practices political and governmental affairs.

The Prime Minister cannot change the culture of politics on his own, but he is able to take action about his own role in it. The simple truth is that he could run the government's core much more effectively than he currently does. Should he achieve this, he could discover that the country was in less despair about his administration than it is, and that he was communicating his points more effectively.

Personnel Problems in No 10

A number of the issues in Downing Street are about personnel. The interpersonal relations of any No 10 regime are difficult to discern accurately from the exterior. Yet it appears clear that Sir Keir fails to make sound staffing decisions, or maintain them. Maybe he is overly occupied. Perhaps he is not really interested. But he needs to improve his performance, avoid slow progress or incompletely.

• He hesitated about giving the crucial role of cabinet secretary to a senior official.
• He made Sue Gray his chief of staff, then substituted her with a political strategist.
• He brought Darren Jones in from the finance ministry as his deputy.
• His media advisors have been frequently replaced.
• Advisors on politics and policy have entered and exited.
• It is a mess.

Systemic Issues at the Heart of the Administration

Every prime minister devote excessive time overseas and on foreign affairs, where Sir Keir should delegate more, and insufficient time conversing with parliamentarians and hearing the citizens. Prime ministers also allocate too much time engaging with the press, which Sir Keir compounds by doing it poorly. Yet leaders cannot express surprise when their political appointees, who are often party loyalists or ambitious in politics, overstep boundaries or become the focus, as Mr McSweeney has recently.

The most significant problems, however, are structural. It would be beneficial to think that Sir Keir read the Institute for Government’s spring 2024 study on reforming the government's central operations. His inability to address these matters last July or since suggests he did not. The frequently dismal experience of the Labour administration suggests IfG proposals like reorganizing the functions of the central government office and Downing Street, and dividing the positions of cabinet secretary and head of the civil service, are now urgent.

The political pre-eminence of prime ministers far outdistances the assistance provided to them. Consequently, all aspects suffer, and much is done badly or neglected.

This is not Sir Keir’s sole responsibility. He is the victim of past failures along with the author of present ones. But those who hoped Sir Keir would take control of the centre and prioritize governmental structures have been let down. Sadly, the primary casualty from this failure is Sir Keir himself.