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Prime Minister Starmer traveled to north Wales this past Thursday to declare the building of a fresh nuclear energy facility. This is a major policy announcement with both local and national implications. Yet, the PM did not devote extensive time in Wales to promoting answers for the UK's energy needs. Instead, he spent it trying to put an end to the briefing controversy within Labour's leadership, informing reporters that No 10 had not undermined the health secretary’s ambitions in recent days.

As such, Sir Keir’s day acted as a small-scale example of what his premiership has evolved into more generally. On the one hand, he desires his government to be performing, and to be seen to be doing, significant actions. Conversely, he is incapable to achieve this because of the way he – and, partly, the country more generally – now conducts politics and government.

Sir Keir cannot change the culture of politics on his own, but he is able to do something about his personal involvement in it. The plain fact is that he could manage the government's core far better than he does. Should he achieve this, he could discover that the nation was in less dismay about his government than it is, and that he was getting his messages across more successfully.

Staffing Issues in No 10

Some of the issues in Downing Street relate to personnel. The personal dynamics of any No 10 regime are difficult to discern accurately from the exterior. Yet it appears clear that Sir Keir does not make sound staffing decisions, or maintain them. Perhaps he is too busy. Perhaps he is not really interested. However, he must to improve his performance, not do things slowly or by halves.

• He hesitated about assigning the crucial role of top civil servant to Chris Wormald.
• He made a former official his chief of staff, then replaced her with Morgan McSweeney.
• He brought Darren Jones in from the finance ministry as his deputy.
• His media advisors have chopped and changed.
• Political and policy advisers have come and gone.
• The situation is chaotic.

Structural Challenges at the Core of the Administration

All premiers devote excessive time abroad and on foreign affairs, areas where Sir Keir ought to assign more tasks, and insufficient time talking to MPs and listening to the citizens. Prime ministers also allocate too much time engaging with the press, which Sir Keir worsens by doing it poorly. Yet leaders cannot claim to be surprised when their politically appointed staff, who are often party activists or politically ambitious, cross lines or become the story, as Mr McSweeney now has.

The biggest issues, however, are structural. It would be good to think that Sir Keir read the a think tank's spring 2024 study on reforming the centre of government. His inability to address these matters last July or afterward suggests he did not. The frequently dismal performance of Labour’s time in office indicates recommendations like reorganizing the roles of the Cabinet Office and Downing Street, and separating the positions of cabinet secretary and head of the civil service, are currently critical.

The dominant political role of prime ministers greatly exceeds the assistance provided to them. Consequently, all aspects suffer, and much is done badly or ignored.

This is not Sir Keir’s fault alone. He stands as the casualty of past failures as well as the author of present ones. But those who hoped Sir Keir might get a grip on the centre and prioritize governmental structures have been let down. Unfortunately, the biggest loser from this shortcoming is Sir Keir himself.