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Prime Minister Starmer visited Wales' northern region on Thursday to announce the construction of a fresh nuclear energy facility. This represents a significant policy event with both local and national implications. Yet, the prime minister did not devote much time in Wales to promoting solutions for the UK's energy needs. Rather, he used the time attempting to put an end to the Labour leadership briefing row, telling reporters that No 10 had not undermined the health secretary's goals in recent days.

As such, Sir Keir’s day acted as a small-scale example of what his premiership has evolved into more generally. On the one hand, he desires his government to be performing, and to be perceived as performing, significant actions. On the other hand, he is unable to accomplish this because of the way he – and, partly, the country more generally – now conducts politics and government.

The Prime Minister is unable to change the culture of politics single-handedly, but he can 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 currently does. If he did this, he could discover that the country was in less despair about his government than it currently is, and that he was communicating his points more successfully.

Personnel Problems in Downing Street

Some of the problems in Downing Street are about personnel. The interpersonal relations of every Downing Street operation are hard to know well from outside. But it seems obvious that Sir Keir does not make sound staffing decisions, or maintain them. Perhaps he is too busy. Perhaps he is not really interested. However, he must to improve his performance, avoid slow progress or by halves.

• He dithered about giving the key job of top civil servant to a senior official.
• He appointed a former official his chief of staff, then replaced her with a political strategist.
• He brought a Treasury figure in from the finance ministry as his chief secretary.
• His media advisors have chopped and changed.
• Political and policy advisers have come and gone.
• The situation is chaotic.

Systemic Issues at the Heart of the Administration

Every prime minister devote excessive time overseas and on foreign affairs, where Sir Keir should delegate more, and insufficient time conversing with MPs and hearing the citizens. Premiers also allocate too much time doing media, which Sir Keir worsens by performing inadequately. But premiers cannot claim to be surprised when their political appointees, who tend to be party activists or politically ambitious, overstep boundaries or become the story, as Mr McSweeney has recently.

The most significant problems, however, are structural. It would be beneficial to think that Sir Keir read the Institute for Government’s spring 2024 report on reforming the government's central operations. His failure to address these matters in the summer or afterward suggests he did not. The often abject experience of the Labour administration suggests IfG proposals like reorganizing the roles of the central government office and No 10, and separating the positions of cabinet secretary and civil service head, are now urgent.

The political pre-eminence of prime ministers greatly exceeds the assistance provided to them. As a result, all aspects suffer, and many tasks are poorly executed or ignored.

This isn't Sir Keir’s sole responsibility. He stands as the victim of previous shortcomings as well as the author of present ones. Yet individuals who expected Sir Keir would take control of the centre and prioritize governmental structures have been disappointed. Sadly, the biggest loser from this failure is Sir Keir personally.