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Prime Minister Starmer visited Wales' northern region this past Thursday to declare the construction of a new nuclear power station. This represents a major policy announcement with both local and national implications. Yet, the prime minister did not devote extensive time in Wales to advocating answers for the UK's energy needs. Instead, he spent it trying to put an end to the Labour leadership briefing row, telling reporters that Downing Street had not briefed against the health secretary's goals earlier this week.

As such, Sir Keir’s day acted as a small-scale example of what his prime ministership has evolved into more generally. On the one hand, he wants his administration to be doing, and to be seen to be doing, important things. Conversely, he is incapable to achieve this because of the way he – and, partly, the nation more generally – now practices politics and government.

Sir Keir is unable to change the political culture single-handedly, but he can take action about his own role in it. The plain fact is that he could run the government's core much more effectively than he currently does. If he did this, he might find that the country was in less despair about his government than it is, and that he was getting his messages across more effectively.

Personnel Problems in No 10

A number of the problems in Downing Street 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. Maybe he is overly occupied. Possibly he lacks genuine interest. However, he must to improve his performance, avoid slow progress or incompletely.

• He hesitated about giving the crucial role of cabinet secretary to Chris Wormald.
• He made a former official his top aide, then replaced her with Morgan McSweeney.
• He recruited a Treasury figure in from the finance ministry as his deputy.
• His media advisors have chopped and changed.
• Advisors on politics and policy have entered and exited.
• It is a mess.

Structural Challenges at the Core of the Administration

Every prime minister spend too much time overseas and on foreign affairs, where Sir Keir should delegate more, and too little talking to parliamentarians and listening to the citizens. Prime ministers also spend too much time doing media, which Sir Keir compounds by doing it poorly. Yet leaders cannot claim to be surprised when their political appointees, who are often party activists or politically ambitious, cross lines or become the focus, as Mr McSweeney has recently.

The most significant problems, however, are structural. It would be beneficial to think that Sir Keir read the Institute for Government’s spring 2024 report on reforming the government's central operations. His inability to grip these issues last July or since implies he did not. The frequently dismal experience of Labour’s time in office indicates IfG proposals like reorganizing the roles of the Cabinet Office and Downing Street, and separating the positions of cabinet secretary and civil service head, are now urgent.

The dominant political role of prime ministers far outdistances the assistance provided to them. Consequently, everything currently suffers, and much is done badly or ignored.

This is not Sir Keir’s fault alone. He is the victim of past failures along with the author of present ones. Yet individuals who expected Sir Keir might get a grip on the core and prioritize governmental structures have been let down. Sadly, the biggest loser from this shortcoming is Sir Keir himself.