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Sir Keir Starmer traveled to Wales' northern region on Thursday to declare the construction of a fresh nuclear energy facility. This represents a significant policy event with both local and national implications. However, the PM did not dedicate extensive time in Wales to advocating answers for the UK's power requirements. Rather, he spent it trying to put an end to the Labour leadership briefing row, informing reporters that Downing Street had not briefed against the health secretary’s ambitions in recent days.

Therefore, Sir Keir’s day served as a small-scale example of what his prime ministership has now become overall. On the one hand, he wants his government to be performing, and to be perceived as performing, significant actions. Conversely, he is incapable to accomplish this due to the way he – and, partly, the country as a whole – now practices politics and government.

The Prime Minister cannot change the culture of politics on his own, but he can do something about his personal involvement in it. The simple truth is that he could run the centre of government much more effectively than he currently does. If he did this, he might find that the country was in less dismay about his government than it is, and that he was communicating his points more successfully.

Staffing Issues in No 10

A number of the issues in Downing Street 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. Possibly he lacks genuine interest. However, he must to improve his performance, avoid slow progress or by halves.

• He hesitated about assigning the key job of top civil servant to Chris Wormald.
• He made Sue Gray his chief of staff, then replaced her with a political strategist.
• He brought Darren Jones in from the finance ministry as his chief secretary.
• His communications chiefs have chopped and changed.
• Advisors on politics and policy have come and gone.
• It is a mess.

Structural Challenges at the Core of the Administration

Every prime minister devote excessive time overseas and on foreign affairs, areas where Sir Keir ought to assign more tasks, and insufficient time conversing with parliamentarians and listening to the public. Prime ministers also allocate too much time doing media, which Sir Keir worsens by doing it poorly. Yet leaders cannot express surprise when their political appointees, who tend to be party loyalists or politically ambitious, cross lines or become the story, as the chief of staff now has.

The most significant problems, however, are systemic. It would be good to believe that Sir Keir reviewed the a think tank's March 2024 report on reforming the centre of government. His failure to grip these issues in the summer or afterward suggests he did not. The frequently dismal performance of the Labour administration suggests IfG proposals like restructuring the functions of the central government office and No 10, and separating the jobs of cabinet secretary 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 neglected.

This isn't Sir Keir’s sole responsibility. He is the victim of past failures as well as the author of present ones. But those who hoped Sir Keir might get a grip on the core and prioritize governmental structures have been let down. Unfortunately, the biggest loser from this failure is Sir Keir himself.