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Prime Minister Starmer traveled to north Wales this past Thursday to announce the construction of a fresh nuclear energy facility. This represents a significant policy event with implications at local and countrywide levels. However, the PM did not devote much time in Wales to advocating answers for the UK's energy needs. Rather, he spent it attempting to draw a line under the briefing controversy within Labour's leadership, informing journalists that Downing Street had not undermined the health secretary's goals 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 performing, and to be perceived as performing, important things. Conversely, he is unable to achieve this because of the manner he – and, partly, the country as a whole – now conducts political and governmental affairs.

Sir Keir cannot transform the political culture on his own, but he is able to do something about his own role in it. The simple truth is that he could manage the centre of government much more effectively than he 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.

Staffing Issues in No 10

A number of the problems in Downing Street are about personnel. The personal dynamics of any No 10 regime are hard to know accurately from the exterior. Yet it appears clear that Sir Keir fails to make good personnel choices, or maintain them. Maybe he is overly occupied. Perhaps he is not really interested. However, he must to up his game, not do things slowly or by halves.

• He hesitated about giving the crucial role of cabinet secretary to a senior official.
• He made a former official his top aide, then substituted her with Morgan McSweeney.
• He recruited a Treasury figure in from the Treasury as his chief secretary.
• His media advisors have chopped and changed.
• Advisors on politics and policy have entered and exited.
• It is a mess.

Systemic Issues at the Heart of Government

Every prime minister spend too much time abroad and on foreign affairs, where Sir Keir should delegate more, and insufficient time conversing with MPs and hearing the public. Premiers also spend too much time doing media, which Sir Keir worsens by doing it poorly. Yet leaders cannot claim to be surprised when their politically appointed staff, who tend to be party loyalists or ambitious in politics, overstep boundaries or become the story, as the chief of staff now has.

The biggest issues, though, are systemic. It would be beneficial 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 last July or afterward implies he did not. The often abject experience of Labour’s time in office indicates recommendations like restructuring the functions of the Cabinet Office and No 10, and separating the jobs of top official and civil service head, are now urgent.

The dominant political role of PMs far outdistances the support available to them. As a result, everything currently suffers, and many tasks are poorly executed or ignored.

This isn't Sir Keir’s sole responsibility. He stands as the victim of past failures along with the architect of current mistakes. Yet individuals who expected Sir Keir would take control of the core and prioritize governmental structures have been let down. Unfortunately, the biggest loser from this shortcoming is Sir Keir personally.