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Prime Minister Starmer visited north Wales this past Thursday to reveal the construction of a fresh nuclear energy facility. This is a major policy announcement with implications at local and countrywide levels. Yet, the PM did not devote extensive time in Wales to promoting answers for the UK's energy needs. Rather, he used the time trying to draw a line under the Labour leadership briefing row, informing journalists that No 10 had not undermined the health secretary's goals earlier this week.

Therefore, Sir Keir’s day acted as a microcosm of what his premiership has now become overall. On the one hand, he desires his government to be doing, and to be seen to be doing, important things. Conversely, he is incapable to achieve this because of the manner he – and, to an extent, the nation more generally – now conducts politics and government.

The Prime Minister cannot transform the political culture 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 centre of government much more effectively than he does. If he did this, he might find that the nation was in less despair about his government than it currently is, and that he was getting his messages across more effectively.

Personnel Problems in Downing Street

A number of the problems in Number 10 relate to personnel. The interpersonal relations of any No 10 regime are hard to know accurately from the exterior. Yet it appears clear that Sir Keir fails to make sound staffing decisions, or stick with them. Maybe he is overly occupied. Perhaps he is not really interested. However, he must to up his game, not do things slowly or incompletely.

• He hesitated about assigning the key job of top civil servant to Chris Wormald.
• He made a former official his chief of staff, then substituted her with Morgan McSweeney.
• He recruited a Treasury figure in from the finance ministry as his deputy.
• His media advisors have been frequently replaced.
• Advisors on politics and policy have come and gone.
• It is a mess.

Systemic Issues at the Heart of the Administration

All premiers spend too much time abroad and on international matters, where Sir Keir should delegate more, and insufficient time talking to parliamentarians and hearing the public. Premiers also allocate too much time engaging with the press, which Sir Keir worsens by doing it poorly. Yet leaders cannot express surprise when their political appointees, who are often party activists or politically ambitious, overstep boundaries or become the focus, as the chief of staff now has.

The biggest issues, though, are structural. It would be good to think that Sir Keir reviewed the Institute for Government’s spring 2024 report on reforming the centre of government. His failure to grip these issues in the summer or afterward suggests he did not. The frequently dismal experience of the Labour administration indicates IfG proposals like restructuring the roles of the central government office and Downing Street, and separating the positions of cabinet secretary and head of the civil service, are now urgent.

The political pre-eminence of PMs far outdistances the support available to them. As a result, all aspects suffer, and much is done badly or ignored.

This is not Sir Keir’s sole responsibility. He is the victim of previous shortcomings along with the architect of present ones. But those who hoped Sir Keir would take control of the centre and take the machinery of government seriously have been disappointed. Sadly, the biggest loser from this failure is Sir Keir himself.