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Prime Minister Starmer traveled to Wales' northern region on Thursday to reveal the construction of a new nuclear power station. This is a major policy announcement with implications at local and countrywide levels. Yet, the PM did not dedicate extensive time in Wales to advocating solutions for the UK's energy needs. Instead, he spent it attempting to put an end to the Labour leadership briefing row, informing journalists that Downing Street had not briefed against the health secretary’s ambitions in recent days.

Therefore, Sir Keir’s day acted as a small-scale example of what his premiership has now become overall. On the one hand, he desires his government 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 as a whole – now conducts political and governmental affairs.

Sir Keir is unable to transform the political culture on his own, but he is able to take action about his own role in it. The simple truth is that he could manage the centre of government far better than he currently does. If he did this, he might find that the nation was in less despair about his government than it is, and that he was getting his messages across more effectively.

Personnel Problems in No 10

A number of the issues in Downing Street are about personnel. The personal dynamics of every Downing Street operation 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. Possibly he lacks genuine interest. But he needs to up his game, avoid slow progress or incompletely.

• He hesitated about assigning the crucial role of top civil servant to a senior official.
• He made a former official his top aide, then substituted her with a political strategist.
• He brought a Treasury figure in from the Treasury as his chief secretary.
• His communications chiefs have been frequently replaced.
• Advisors on politics and policy have come and gone.
• The situation is chaotic.

Structural Challenges at the Heart of the Administration

Every prime minister spend too much time abroad and on foreign affairs, areas where Sir Keir ought to assign more tasks, and too little talking to parliamentarians and listening to the citizens. 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 tend to be party activists or ambitious in politics, cross lines or become the story, as Mr McSweeney now has.

The most significant problems, however, are structural. It would be beneficial to think that Sir Keir read the a think tank's March 2024 study on overhauling the government's central operations. His inability to grip these issues in the summer or since implies he did not. The often abject performance of the Labour administration suggests recommendations like reorganizing the functions of the Cabinet Office and Downing Street, and dividing the jobs of cabinet secretary and head of the civil service, are currently critical.

The dominant political role of prime ministers far outdistances the assistance provided to them. Consequently, everything currently suffers, and many tasks are poorly executed or ignored.

This is not Sir Keir’s fault alone. He is the casualty of previous shortcomings along with the author of present ones. But those who hoped Sir Keir might get a grip on the centre and prioritize governmental structures have been disappointed. Sadly, the primary casualty from this shortcoming is Sir Keir himself.