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Prime Minister Starmer visited north Wales this past Thursday to reveal the building of a new nuclear power station. This is a major policy announcement with implications at local and countrywide levels. However, the prime minister did not devote much time in Wales to advocating solutions for the UK's energy needs. Rather, he used the time trying 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 microcosm of what his premiership has now become overall. Firstly, he desires his administration to be performing, and to be perceived as performing, important things. On the other hand, he is incapable to accomplish this because of the manner he – and, partly, the country more generally – now practices politics and government.

Sir Keir is unable to transform the political culture single-handedly, but he can 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 successfully.

Personnel Problems in No 10

Some of the issues in Number 10 are about individuals. The interpersonal relations 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. Perhaps he is not really interested. But he needs to up his game, not do things slowly or by halves.

• He dithered about assigning the crucial role of cabinet secretary to Chris Wormald.
• He made a former official his chief of staff, then substituted her with Morgan McSweeney.
• He brought Darren Jones in from the Treasury as his chief secretary.
• His media advisors have been frequently replaced.
• Political and policy advisers have entered and exited.
• It is a mess.

Systemic Issues at the Core of Government

Every prime minister devote excessive time overseas and on foreign affairs, where Sir Keir should delegate more, and too little conversing with MPs and listening to the citizens. Premiers also spend too much time doing media, which Sir Keir compounds by performing inadequately. Yet leaders cannot claim to be surprised when their political appointees, who tend to be party activists or politically ambitious, cross lines or become the story, as Mr McSweeney now has.

The most significant problems, though, are systemic. It would be good to think that Sir Keir reviewed the Institute for Government’s spring 2024 report on overhauling the centre of government. His failure to grip these issues last July or afterward implies he did not. The frequently dismal performance of the Labour administration suggests recommendations like reorganizing the roles of the central government office and Downing Street, and dividing the positions of cabinet secretary and civil service head, are currently critical.

The dominant political role of prime ministers greatly exceeds the assistance provided to them. As a result, all aspects suffer, and much is done badly or neglected.

This is not Sir Keir’s sole responsibility. He is the victim of previous shortcomings as well as the author of current mistakes. Yet individuals who expected 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.