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Prime Minister Starmer visited Wales' northern region this past Thursday to reveal the construction of a fresh nuclear energy facility. This represents a significant policy event with implications at local and countrywide levels. Yet, the PM did not dedicate extensive time in Wales to promoting solutions for the UK's power requirements. Rather, he spent it attempting to draw a line under the Labour leadership briefing row, telling reporters that Downing Street had not undermined the health secretary’s ambitions earlier this week.

Therefore, Sir Keir’s day acted as a small-scale example of what his premiership has now become overall. Firstly, he wants his government to be performing, and to be seen to be doing, significant actions. Conversely, he is incapable to achieve this because of the way he – and, partly, the nation as a whole – now practices political and governmental affairs.

The Prime Minister cannot transform the culture of politics single-handedly, but he is able to take action about his own role in it. The plain fact is that he could manage the centre of government far better than he currently does. Should he achieve this, he could discover that the country was in less dismay about his administration than it currently is, and that he was getting his messages across more successfully.

Staffing Issues in Downing Street

A number of the issues in Number 10 are about personnel. The interpersonal relations of every Downing Street operation are difficult to discern well from outside. Yet it appears clear that Sir Keir does not make sound staffing decisions, or maintain them. Perhaps he is too busy. Perhaps he is not really interested. But he needs to improve his performance, avoid slow progress or incompletely.

• He dithered about giving the key job of top civil servant to Chris Wormald.
• He made Sue Gray his top aide, then substituted her with Morgan McSweeney.
• He recruited Darren Jones in from the finance ministry as his chief secretary.
• His communications chiefs have been frequently replaced.
• Political and policy advisers have come and gone.
• The situation is chaotic.

Structural Challenges at the Core of Government

All premiers spend too much time overseas and on international matters, where Sir Keir should delegate more, and too little conversing with parliamentarians and hearing the citizens. Prime ministers also allocate too much time doing media, which Sir Keir compounds 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 focus, as the chief of staff now has.

The most significant problems, however, are structural. It would be beneficial to think that Sir Keir reviewed the a think tank's March 2024 study on reforming the government's central operations. His failure to grip these issues in the summer or afterward suggests he did not. The often abject performance of the Labour administration suggests recommendations like reorganizing the roles of the central government office and No 10, and dividing the jobs of top official and civil service head, are currently critical.

The political pre-eminence of PMs greatly exceeds the support available to them. As a result, all aspects suffer, and much is done badly or neglected.

This isn't Sir Keir’s sole responsibility. He is the victim of previous shortcomings along with the author of present ones. Yet individuals who expected Sir Keir might get a grip on the core and take the machinery of government seriously have been disappointed. Sadly, the primary casualty from this shortcoming is Sir Keir personally.