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Prime Minister Starmer traveled to north Wales this past Thursday to reveal the development of a new nuclear power station. This is a significant policy event with both local and national implications. However, the PM did not dedicate extensive time in Wales to promoting answers for the UK's energy needs. Rather, he used the time trying to draw a line under the Labour leadership briefing row, telling journalists that Downing Street had not undermined the health secretary’s ambitions in recent days.

Therefore, Sir Keir’s day served as a microcosm of what his prime ministership has evolved into more generally. On the one hand, 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 way he – and, to an extent, the nation as a whole – now practices politics and government.

The Prime Minister is unable to change the culture of politics single-handedly, but he is able to do something about his own role in it. The simple truth is that he could run the government's core much more effectively than he currently does. Should he achieve this, he could discover that the country was in less despair about his administration than it currently is, and that he was getting his messages across more successfully.

Staffing Issues in No 10

A number of the problems in Number 10 are about individuals. The personal dynamics of any No 10 regime are hard to know well from outside. Yet it appears clear that Sir Keir does not make good personnel choices, or stick with them. Perhaps he is too busy. Possibly he lacks genuine interest. But he needs to improve his performance, not do things slowly or by halves.

• He dithered about assigning the key job of cabinet secretary to a senior official.
• He made Sue Gray his top aide, then substituted her with a political strategist.
• He recruited a Treasury figure in from the Treasury as his chief secretary.
• His communications chiefs have been frequently replaced.
• Advisors on politics and policy have come and gone.
• It is a mess.

Systemic Issues at the Heart of Government

Every prime minister spend too much time overseas and on foreign affairs, where Sir Keir should delegate more, and insufficient time conversing with MPs and listening to the citizens. Prime ministers also spend too much time doing media, which Sir Keir worsens by performing inadequately. But premiers cannot claim to be surprised when their political appointees, who are often party activists or politically ambitious, overstep boundaries or become the focus, as the chief of staff now has.

The biggest issues, though, are structural. It would be beneficial to think that Sir Keir read the a think tank's spring 2024 report on reforming the government's central operations. His failure to grip these issues last July or afterward suggests he did not. The frequently dismal performance of Labour’s time in office indicates recommendations like restructuring the roles of the Cabinet Office and No 10, and dividing the positions of top official and civil service head, are now urgent.

The dominant political role of PMs greatly exceeds the support available to them. Consequently, everything currently suffers, and many tasks are poorly executed or neglected.

This isn't Sir Keir’s sole responsibility. He is the victim of previous shortcomings along with the author of current mistakes. But those who hoped Sir Keir might get a grip on the centre and prioritize governmental structures have been disappointed. Unfortunately, the biggest loser from this failure is Sir Keir personally.