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Sir Keir Starmer traveled to Wales' northern region on Thursday to announce the development of a fresh nuclear energy facility. This represents a significant policy event with both local and national implications. Yet, the prime minister did not dedicate extensive time in Wales to promoting solutions for the UK's energy needs. Rather, he spent it attempting to draw a line under the briefing controversy within Labour's leadership, informing reporters that Downing Street had not undermined the health secretary’s ambitions in recent days.

Therefore, Sir Keir’s day served as a small-scale example of what his premiership has evolved into more generally. Firstly, he wants his government to be performing, and to be perceived as performing, important things. Conversely, he is unable to accomplish this because of the manner he – and, to an extent, the country more generally – now practices political and governmental affairs.

The Prime Minister 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 simple truth is that he could run the government's core much more effectively than he does. If he did this, he could discover that the country was in less despair about his administration than it currently is, and that he was communicating his points more successfully.

Personnel Problems in No 10

Some of the problems in Downing Street are about personnel. The personal dynamics of every Downing Street operation are hard to know accurately from the exterior. Yet it appears clear that Sir Keir does not make good personnel choices, or stick with them. Perhaps he is too busy. Possibly he lacks genuine interest. But he needs to improve his performance, not do things slowly or incompletely.

• He hesitated about assigning the crucial role of top civil servant to a senior official.
• He made Sue Gray his top aide, then replaced her with a political strategist.
• He brought Darren Jones in from the finance ministry as his deputy.
• His communications chiefs have been frequently replaced.
• Advisors on politics and policy have come and gone.
• It is a mess.

Systemic Issues at the Heart of Government

All premiers spend too much time abroad and on foreign affairs, where Sir Keir should delegate more, and too little conversing with parliamentarians and listening to the citizens. Premiers also spend too much time doing media, which Sir Keir compounds by performing inadequately. But premiers cannot claim to be surprised when their politically appointed staff, who tend to be party activists or politically ambitious, cross lines or become the focus, as the chief of staff now has.

The biggest issues, however, 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 implies he did not. The frequently dismal performance of Labour’s time in office suggests IfG proposals like restructuring the roles of the Cabinet Office and Downing Street, and dividing the jobs of cabinet secretary and civil service head, are now urgent.

The dominant political role of prime ministers greatly exceeds the support available to them. Consequently, everything currently suffers, and many tasks are poorly executed or neglected.

This isn't Sir Keir’s fault alone. He is the casualty of past failures along with the architect of current mistakes. But those who hoped Sir Keir might get a grip on the centre and prioritize governmental structures have been let down. Sadly, the biggest loser from this shortcoming is Sir Keir personally.