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Sir Keir Starmer visited north Wales this past Thursday to announce the building of a fresh nuclear energy facility. This represents a significant policy event with implications at local and countrywide levels. However, the prime minister did not devote much time in Wales to promoting solutions for the UK's power requirements. Instead, he used the time 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 ambitions 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. On the one hand, he desires his administration to be doing, and to be perceived as performing, significant actions. Conversely, he is unable to achieve this because of the manner he – and, partly, the country more generally – now conducts political and governmental affairs.

Sir Keir is unable to transform the culture of politics on his own, but he is able to take action about his own role in it. The plain fact is that he could run the centre of government far better than he does. Should he achieve this, he could discover that the nation was in less dismay about his government than it currently is, and that he was communicating his points more effectively.

Staffing Issues in Downing Street

A number of the problems in Number 10 are about individuals. The personal dynamics of every Downing Street operation are difficult to discern well from outside. But it seems obvious that Sir Keir fails to make good personnel choices, or maintain them. Perhaps he is too busy. Possibly he lacks genuine interest. However, he must to up his game, avoid slow progress or incompletely.

• He dithered about giving the crucial role of cabinet secretary to Chris Wormald.
• He made Sue Gray his top aide, then replaced her with a political strategist.
• He brought a Treasury figure in from the finance ministry as his chief secretary.
• His communications chiefs have been frequently replaced.
• Political and policy advisers have come and gone.
• The situation is chaotic.

Systemic Issues at the Core of Government

All premiers spend too much time abroad and on international matters, areas where Sir Keir ought to assign more tasks, and too little talking to MPs and hearing the public. Prime ministers also allocate too much time engaging with the press, which Sir Keir worsens by doing it poorly. Yet leaders cannot claim to be surprised when their political appointees, who tend to be party loyalists or ambitious in politics, overstep boundaries or become the focus, as Mr McSweeney has recently.

The most significant problems, however, are structural. It would be beneficial to think that Sir Keir reviewed the a think tank's March 2024 study on reforming the government's central operations. His inability to address these matters last July or since suggests he did not. The frequently dismal experience of the Labour administration suggests IfG proposals like restructuring the functions of the central government office and Downing Street, and dividing the positions of top official and civil service head, are now urgent.

The political pre-eminence of prime ministers greatly exceeds the support available to them. As a result, everything currently suffers, and much is done badly or ignored.

This is not Sir Keir’s sole responsibility. He is the victim of previous shortcomings as well as the author of present ones. But those who hoped Sir Keir would take control of the centre and prioritize governmental structures have been let down. Sadly, the biggest loser from this failure is Sir Keir personally.