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Prime Minister Starmer traveled to north Wales on Thursday to announce the construction of a fresh nuclear energy facility. This is a major policy announcement with both local and national implications. However, the prime minister did not dedicate extensive time in Wales to advocating solutions for the UK's energy needs. Rather, he spent it trying to put an end to the Labour leadership briefing row, informing journalists that Downing Street had not undermined the health secretary's goals in recent days.

As such, Sir Keir’s day acted as a microcosm of what his prime ministership has now become overall. Firstly, he wants his government to be performing, and to be perceived as performing, significant actions. Conversely, he is incapable to accomplish this due to the manner he – and, to an extent, the nation more generally – now conducts politics and government.

Sir Keir cannot change the political culture on his own, but he is able to take action about his personal involvement in it. The simple truth is that he could run the centre of government far better than he currently does. If he did this, he could discover that the nation was in less despair about his government than it is, and that he was getting his messages across more effectively.

Staffing Issues in Downing Street

Some 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 maintain them. Maybe he is overly occupied. Possibly he lacks genuine interest. But he needs to improve his performance, avoid slow progress or incompletely.

• He hesitated about giving the crucial role of top civil servant to Chris Wormald.
• He made a former official his top aide, then substituted her with a political strategist.
• He brought a Treasury figure in from the finance ministry as his deputy.
• His media advisors have been frequently replaced.
• Advisors on politics and policy have come and gone.
• It is a mess.

Systemic Issues at the Core of the Administration

All premiers spend too much time overseas and on international matters, where Sir Keir should delegate more, and insufficient time talking to MPs and hearing the public. Prime ministers also allocate too much time doing media, which Sir Keir compounds by doing it poorly. Yet leaders cannot express surprise when their politically appointed staff, who are often party loyalists or politically ambitious, overstep boundaries or become the focus, as Mr McSweeney now has.

The most significant problems, though, are systemic. It would be beneficial to think that Sir Keir read the a think tank's March 2024 study on overhauling the government's central operations. His inability to grip these issues last July or since implies he did not. The often abject performance of Labour’s time in office suggests IfG proposals like restructuring the functions of the central government office and Downing Street, and separating the jobs of cabinet secretary and head of the civil service, are currently critical.

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

This is not Sir Keir’s fault alone. He stands as the casualty of past failures as well as the author of present ones. Yet individuals who expected Sir Keir might get a grip on the core and prioritize governmental structures have been disappointed. Sadly, the primary casualty from this shortcoming is Sir Keir himself.