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Sir Keir Starmer traveled to north Wales this past Thursday to declare the construction of a fresh nuclear energy facility. This is a major policy announcement with implications at local and countrywide levels. However, the PM did not devote extensive time in Wales to advocating solutions for the UK's energy needs. Rather, he spent it attempting to put an end to the Labour leadership briefing row, telling journalists that No 10 had not undermined the health secretary’s ambitions earlier this week.

As such, Sir Keir’s day acted as a microcosm of what his prime ministership has evolved into more generally. On the one hand, he desires his administration to be performing, and to be perceived as performing, significant actions. Conversely, he is unable to accomplish this because of the manner he – and, to an extent, the country as a whole – now practices politics and government.

Sir Keir cannot change the political culture on his own, but he can do something about his personal involvement in it. The simple truth is that he could run the government's core far better than he does. If he did this, he could discover that the nation was in less despair about his administration than it currently is, and that he was communicating his points more successfully.

Staffing Issues in Downing Street

A number of the problems in Number 10 are about individuals. The personal dynamics of any No 10 regime are hard to know well from outside. But it seems obvious that Sir Keir fails to make sound staffing decisions, or stick with them. Perhaps he is too busy. Perhaps he is not really interested. But he needs to improve his performance, avoid slow progress or incompletely.

• He dithered about giving the crucial role of top civil servant to Chris Wormald.
• He made a former official his chief of staff, then substituted her with Morgan McSweeney.
• He brought a Treasury figure in from the finance ministry as his deputy.
• His media advisors have been frequently replaced.
• Political and policy advisers have entered and exited.
• The situation is chaotic.

Structural Challenges at the Heart of Government

All premiers spend too much time overseas and on foreign affairs, areas where Sir Keir ought to assign more tasks, and insufficient time talking to parliamentarians and listening to the public. Prime ministers also allocate too much time engaging with the press, which Sir Keir worsens by performing inadequately. But premiers cannot claim to be surprised when their politically appointed staff, who are often party activists or ambitious in politics, cross lines or become the story, as the chief of staff has recently.

The biggest issues, though, are structural. It would be beneficial to think that Sir Keir read the Institute for Government’s March 2024 study on overhauling the centre of government. His inability to grip these issues in the summer or afterward suggests he did not. The often abject experience of Labour’s time in office indicates IfG proposals like restructuring the functions of the Cabinet Office and No 10, and dividing the positions of cabinet secretary and head of the civil service, are currently critical.

The political pre-eminence of prime ministers far outdistances the assistance provided to them. Consequently, everything currently suffers, and many tasks are poorly executed or neglected.

This isn't Sir Keir’s fault alone. He stands as the victim of past failures along with the architect of current mistakes. But those who hoped Sir Keir would take control of the centre and prioritize governmental structures have been disappointed. Sadly, the primary casualty from this failure is Sir Keir personally.