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Prime Minister Starmer traveled to Wales' northern region this past Thursday to announce the development of a new nuclear power station. This is a major policy announcement with both local and national implications. However, the PM did not devote extensive time in Wales to advocating solutions for the UK's energy needs. Instead, he used the time trying to draw a line under the Labour leadership briefing row, informing journalists that No 10 had not undermined the health secretary's goals earlier this week.

Therefore, Sir Keir’s day acted as a small-scale example of what his premiership has now become overall. On the one hand, he wants his administration to be doing, and to be seen to be doing, important things. Conversely, he is incapable to achieve this because of the way he – and, partly, the country more generally – now practices politics and government.

Sir Keir cannot transform the culture of politics single-handedly, but he is able to take action about his personal involvement in it. The plain fact is that he could manage the centre of government much more effectively than he does. If he did 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 successfully.

Personnel Problems in Downing Street

A number of the issues in Downing Street are about individuals. The interpersonal relations of any No 10 regime are hard to know well from outside. Yet it appears clear that Sir Keir does not make sound staffing decisions, or stick with them. Perhaps he is too busy. Perhaps he is not really interested. But he needs to improve his performance, avoid slow progress or by halves.

• He dithered about giving the key job of cabinet secretary to Chris Wormald.
• He made a former official his top aide, then substituted her with a political strategist.
• He recruited Darren Jones in from the Treasury as his chief secretary.
• His media advisors have chopped and changed.
• Advisors on politics and policy have entered and exited.
• It is a mess.

Structural Challenges at the Core of Government

Every prime minister devote excessive time overseas and on international matters, where Sir Keir should delegate more, and too little conversing with parliamentarians and hearing the public. Premiers also allocate too much time engaging with the press, which Sir Keir worsens by doing it poorly. But premiers cannot claim to be surprised when their politically appointed staff, who are often party activists or politically ambitious, overstep boundaries or become the story, as the chief of staff now has.

The biggest issues, though, are systemic. It would be beneficial to believe that Sir Keir reviewed the a think tank's spring 2024 study on overhauling the centre of government. His inability to grip these issues last July or afterward implies he did not. The often abject performance of Labour’s time in office suggests recommendations like restructuring the roles of the Cabinet Office and Downing Street, and dividing the jobs of cabinet secretary and civil service head, 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 neglected.

This is not Sir Keir’s fault alone. He is the victim of previous shortcomings along with 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 let down. Sadly, the primary casualty from this shortcoming is Sir Keir himself.