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Sir Keir Starmer traveled to north Wales this past Thursday to reveal the construction of a fresh nuclear energy facility. This is a major policy announcement with implications at local and countrywide levels. Yet, the prime minister did not devote extensive time in Wales to promoting solutions for the UK's power requirements. Instead, he used the time attempting to draw a line under the Labour leadership briefing row, telling journalists that No 10 had not undermined the health secretary's goals in recent days.

Therefore, Sir Keir’s day served as a small-scale example of what his premiership has evolved into overall. Firstly, he wants his administration to be performing, and to be perceived as performing, important things. On the other hand, he is incapable to achieve this due to the way he – and, partly, the nation as a whole – now conducts politics and government.

Sir Keir cannot change the culture of politics on his own, but he can do something about his own role in it. The simple truth is that he could run the centre of government much more effectively than he does. If he did this, he might find that the country was in less dismay about his administration than it is, and that he was getting his messages across more successfully.

Personnel Problems in Downing Street

A number of the problems in Number 10 are about personnel. The personal dynamics of every Downing Street operation are difficult to discern accurately from the exterior. But it seems obvious that Sir Keir does not make good personnel choices, or maintain them. Perhaps he is too busy. Perhaps he is not really interested. But he needs to improve his performance, not do things slowly or by halves.

• 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 Treasury as his deputy.
• His media advisors have chopped and changed.
• Political and policy advisers have entered and exited.
• It is a mess.

Systemic Issues at the Heart of Government

All premiers devote excessive time overseas and on foreign affairs, where Sir Keir should delegate more, and insufficient time talking to parliamentarians and hearing the citizens. Prime ministers also spend 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 are often party activists or politically ambitious, cross lines or become the story, as Mr McSweeney now has.

The most significant problems, however, are structural. It would be beneficial to think that Sir Keir reviewed the Institute for Government’s spring 2024 study on reforming the government's central operations. His inability to grip these issues in the summer or since implies he did not. The often abject experience of the Labour administration suggests IfG proposals like restructuring 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 dominant political role of PMs far outdistances the support available to them. Consequently, all aspects suffer, and much is done badly or neglected.

This is not Sir Keir’s fault alone. He is the casualty of previous shortcomings along with the author of current mistakes. But those who hoped Sir Keir would take control of the centre and prioritize governmental structures have been let down. Unfortunately, the primary casualty from this shortcoming is Sir Keir personally.