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Prime Minister Starmer visited north Wales on Thursday to reveal the building of a fresh nuclear energy facility. This represents a major policy announcement with both local and national implications. Yet, the prime minister did not dedicate much time in Wales to advocating solutions for the UK's power requirements. Rather, he spent it 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.

As such, 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 doing, and to be perceived as performing, important things. On the other hand, he is unable to achieve this due to the manner he – and, to an extent, the country as a whole – now practices politics and government.

The Prime Minister is unable to transform the political culture on his own, but he can do something about his own role in it. The plain fact is that he could manage the centre of government much more effectively than he currently does. Should he achieve this, he might find that the country was in less despair about his administration than it is, and that he was communicating his points more effectively.

Staffing Issues in No 10

A number of the issues in Downing Street are about individuals. The interpersonal relations of every Downing Street operation are difficult to discern well from outside. Yet it appears clear that Sir Keir fails to make good personnel choices, or stick with them. Maybe he is overly occupied. Possibly he lacks genuine interest. However, he must to up his game, not do things slowly or by halves.

• He dithered about assigning the crucial role of cabinet secretary to a senior official.
• He appointed Sue Gray his top aide, then substituted her with a political strategist.
• He recruited Darren Jones in from the Treasury as his deputy.
• His media advisors have chopped and changed.
• Political and policy advisers have come and gone.
• It is a mess.

Systemic Issues at the Heart of Government

All premiers devote excessive time overseas and on foreign affairs, areas where Sir Keir ought to assign more tasks, and insufficient time talking to parliamentarians and listening to the citizens. Premiers also spend too much time doing media, which Sir Keir worsens by doing it poorly. But premiers cannot claim to be surprised when their political appointees, who tend to be party loyalists or ambitious in politics, cross lines or become the focus, as the chief of staff has recently.

The biggest issues, though, are systemic. It would be good to believe that Sir Keir reviewed the Institute for Government’s March 2024 report on overhauling the government's central operations. His failure to address these matters last July or afterward suggests he did not. The frequently dismal performance of Labour’s time in office suggests IfG proposals like restructuring the functions of the Cabinet Office and Downing Street, and separating the positions of top official and head of the civil service, are currently critical.

The political pre-eminence of PMs far outdistances the assistance provided to them. As a result, everything currently suffers, and many tasks are poorly executed or neglected.

This isn't Sir Keir’s fault alone. He stands as the victim of previous shortcomings as well as the author of present ones. But those who hoped Sir Keir might get a grip on the core and prioritize governmental structures have been let down. Sadly, the primary casualty from this failure is Sir Keir personally.