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Prime Minister Starmer traveled to Wales' northern region this past Thursday to announce the construction of a new nuclear power station. This represents a major policy announcement with implications at local and countrywide levels. However, the PM did not devote much time in Wales to promoting answers for the UK's energy needs. Instead, he spent it trying to draw a line under the Labour leadership briefing row, informing reporters that No 10 had not undermined the health secretary's goals in recent days.

Therefore, Sir Keir’s day acted as a microcosm of what his prime ministership has evolved into overall. On the one hand, he desires his administration to be doing, and to be seen to be doing, important things. Conversely, he is incapable to achieve this due to the manner he – and, partly, the country as a whole – now conducts politics and government.

The Prime Minister is unable to 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 manage the centre of government far better than he does. Should he achieve this, he could discover that the nation was in less despair about his government than it is, and that he was communicating his points more effectively.

Personnel Problems in Downing Street

A number of the problems in Downing Street relate to personnel. The interpersonal relations 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 maintain them. Maybe he is overly occupied. Perhaps he is not really interested. However, he must to improve his performance, avoid slow progress or incompletely.

• He hesitated about giving the key job of cabinet secretary to a senior official.
• He made Sue Gray his top aide, then substituted her with Morgan McSweeney.
• He recruited a Treasury figure in from the finance ministry as his deputy.
• His media advisors have chopped and changed.
• Political and policy advisers have come and gone.
• The situation is chaotic.

Structural Challenges at the Core 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 insufficient time conversing with parliamentarians and hearing the public. Prime ministers also allocate too much time doing media, which Sir Keir worsens by doing it poorly. 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 Mr McSweeney now has.

The most significant problems, however, are structural. It would be good to believe that Sir Keir reviewed the Institute for Government’s spring 2024 report on reforming the government's central operations. His inability to grip these issues last July or since implies he did not. The frequently dismal performance of Labour’s time in office indicates recommendations like reorganizing the roles of the central government office and No 10, and separating the jobs of top official and head of the civil service, are now urgent.

The political pre-eminence of prime ministers greatly exceeds the assistance provided to them. As a result, everything currently suffers, and many tasks are poorly executed or neglected.

This is not Sir Keir’s sole responsibility. He is the victim of past failures as well as the architect of present ones. Yet individuals who expected Sir Keir would take control of the centre and take the machinery of government seriously have been disappointed. Unfortunately, the primary casualty from this failure is Sir Keir himself.