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Prime Minister Starmer visited north Wales this past Thursday to declare the construction of a new nuclear power station. This is a significant policy event with both local and national implications. 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, telling reporters that No 10 had not briefed against the health secretary's goals earlier this week.

As such, Sir Keir’s day served as a small-scale example of what his premiership has now become more generally. Firstly, he wants his government to be performing, and to be perceived as performing, important things. Conversely, he is unable to achieve this because of the manner he – and, to an extent, the country as a whole – now practices political and governmental affairs.

The Prime Minister cannot transform the culture of politics single-handedly, but he is able to take action about his personal involvement in it. The plain fact is that he could run the centre of government far better than he currently does. If he did this, he could discover that the country was in less despair about his government than it is, and that he was communicating his points more effectively.

Staffing Issues in No 10

Some of the problems in Number 10 relate to personnel. The interpersonal relations of every Downing Street operation are difficult to discern well from outside. Yet it appears clear 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, avoid slow progress or incompletely.

• He hesitated about assigning the key job of cabinet secretary to Chris Wormald.
• He appointed Sue Gray his top aide, then substituted her with a political strategist.
• He recruited Darren Jones in from the finance ministry as his deputy.
• His communications chiefs have chopped and changed.
• Political and policy advisers have entered and exited.
• The situation is chaotic.

Structural Challenges at the Heart of the Administration

Every prime minister devote excessive time overseas and on foreign affairs, where Sir Keir should delegate more, and too little conversing with parliamentarians and listening to the public. Premiers also spend too much time doing media, which Sir Keir worsens by performing inadequately. Yet leaders cannot claim to be surprised when their politically appointed staff, who are often party activists or ambitious in politics, cross lines or become the focus, as the chief of staff has recently.

The biggest issues, though, are structural. It would be good to believe that Sir Keir read the Institute for Government’s March 2024 study on reforming the centre of government. His inability to grip these issues last July or since implies he did not. The often abject experience of the Labour administration indicates recommendations like reorganizing the roles of the Cabinet Office and Downing Street, and dividing the positions of cabinet secretary and civil service head, are currently critical.

The dominant political role of PMs greatly exceeds the support available to them. As a result, all aspects suffer, and much is done badly or neglected.

This is not Sir Keir’s fault alone. He stands as the casualty of previous shortcomings along with the architect of current mistakes. But those who hoped Sir Keir might get a grip on the core and prioritize governmental structures have been disappointed. Sadly, the primary casualty from this shortcoming is Sir Keir himself.