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Prime Minister Starmer traveled to north Wales this past Thursday to declare the building of a new nuclear power station. This is a major policy announcement with implications at local and countrywide levels. However, the PM did not dedicate much time in Wales to advocating 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 journalists that Downing Street had not undermined the health secretary’s ambitions in recent days.

Therefore, Sir Keir’s day served as a small-scale example of what his premiership has evolved into more generally. On the one hand, he wants his administration to be performing, and to be perceived as performing, important things. On the other hand, he is unable to accomplish this because of the manner he – and, partly, the nation as a whole – now practices politics and government.

The Prime Minister is unable to change the political culture 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 centre of government far better than he currently does. If he did this, he might find that the country was in less dismay about his government than it is, and that he was communicating his points more successfully.

Personnel Problems in No 10

A number of the issues in Number 10 relate to individuals. The interpersonal relations of every Downing Street operation are difficult to discern accurately from the exterior. But it seems obvious that Sir Keir fails to make good personnel choices, or maintain them. Maybe he is overly occupied. Possibly he lacks genuine interest. But he needs to up his game, not do things slowly or by halves.

• He hesitated about assigning the key job of top civil servant to Chris Wormald.
• He made Sue Gray his top aide, then replaced her with Morgan McSweeney.
• He recruited 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

All premiers spend too much time overseas and on foreign affairs, areas where Sir Keir ought to assign more tasks, and insufficient time conversing with parliamentarians and hearing the citizens. Prime ministers also spend too much time doing media, which Sir Keir compounds by doing it poorly. But premiers cannot express surprise when their political appointees, who are often party loyalists or ambitious in politics, cross lines or become the story, as Mr McSweeney now has.

The most significant problems, however, are structural. It would be good to think that Sir Keir read the Institute for Government’s spring 2024 report on overhauling the centre of government. His failure to address these matters in the summer or since implies he did not. The frequently dismal experience of the Labour administration indicates IfG proposals like reorganizing the roles of the Cabinet Office and No 10, and dividing the jobs of cabinet secretary and head of the civil service, are currently critical.

The political pre-eminence of prime ministers far outdistances the support available to them. Consequently, all aspects suffer, and many tasks are poorly executed or ignored.

This isn't Sir Keir’s fault alone. He stands as the victim of previous shortcomings along with the architect of current mistakes. But those who hoped Sir Keir might get a grip on the centre and take the machinery of government seriously have been disappointed. Unfortunately, the biggest loser from this shortcoming is Sir Keir himself.