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Sir Keir Starmer visited Wales' northern region on Thursday to declare the construction of a new nuclear power station. This represents a significant policy event with both local and national implications. Yet, the prime minister did not dedicate much time in Wales to advocating solutions for the UK's energy needs. Instead, he used the time attempting to put an end to the Labour leadership briefing row, informing journalists that Downing Street had not undermined the health secretary’s ambitions earlier this week.

As such, Sir Keir’s day acted as a microcosm of what his premiership has now become overall. Firstly, he wants his government to be doing, and to be seen to be doing, significant actions. On the other hand, he is incapable to accomplish this because of the way he – and, to an extent, the country more generally – now practices political and governmental affairs.

Sir Keir cannot transform the political culture single-handedly, but he can do something about his own role in it. The plain fact is that he could run the centre of government much more effectively than he does. Should he achieve this, he might find that the country was in less dismay about his government than it is, and that he was getting his messages across more effectively.

Personnel Problems in Downing Street

A number of the issues in Number 10 are about individuals. The personal dynamics of every Downing Street operation are difficult to discern accurately from the exterior. 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. However, he must to improve his performance, avoid slow progress or incompletely.

• He dithered about giving the key job of top civil servant to a senior official.
• He appointed a former official his top aide, then substituted her with a political strategist.
• He recruited a Treasury figure in from the Treasury as his deputy.
• His media advisors have chopped and changed.
• Advisors on politics and policy have entered and exited.
• The situation is chaotic.

Systemic Issues at the Core of the Administration

Every prime minister spend too much time abroad and on international matters, areas where Sir Keir ought to assign more tasks, and insufficient time conversing with parliamentarians and hearing the public. Premiers also spend too much time doing media, which Sir Keir compounds by doing it poorly. 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 most significant problems, however, are structural. It would be good to think that Sir Keir reviewed the Institute for Government’s spring 2024 report on overhauling the government's central operations. His failure to grip these issues in the summer or since suggests he did not. The often abject experience of the Labour administration indicates IfG proposals like restructuring the functions of the central government office and Downing Street, and separating the positions of top official and head of the civil service, are currently critical.

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

This is not Sir Keir’s sole responsibility. He is the victim of past failures along with the author of present ones. Yet individuals who expected Sir Keir might get a grip on the centre and take the machinery of government seriously have been let down. Sadly, the primary casualty from this failure is Sir Keir himself.