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Prime Minister Starmer visited Wales' northern region this past Thursday to reveal the construction of a new nuclear power station. This is a major policy announcement with implications at local and countrywide levels. Yet, the prime minister did not devote much time in Wales to advocating answers for the UK's energy needs. Rather, he used the time attempting to put an end to the briefing controversy within Labour's leadership, telling journalists that No 10 had not briefed against the health secretary’s ambitions in recent days.

As such, Sir Keir’s day acted as a small-scale example of what his prime ministership has evolved into more generally. Firstly, he desires his administration to be performing, and to be perceived as performing, important things. Conversely, he is unable to achieve this due to the manner he – and, partly, the country as a whole – now conducts political and governmental affairs.

Sir Keir is unable to change the culture of politics single-handedly, but he can take action about his personal involvement in it. The simple truth is that he could run the government's core much more effectively than he does. If he did this, he might find that the nation was in less despair about his government than it currently is, and that he was communicating his points more effectively.

Personnel Problems in No 10

A number of the problems in Number 10 relate to individuals. The interpersonal relations of every Downing Street operation are hard to know well from outside. But it seems obvious that Sir Keir fails to make good personnel choices, or maintain them. Perhaps he is too busy. Possibly he lacks genuine interest. But he needs to up his game, not do things slowly or by halves.

• He dithered about giving the crucial role of cabinet secretary to a senior official.
• He made Sue Gray his chief of staff, then substituted her with a political strategist.
• He brought Darren Jones in from the finance ministry as his deputy.
• His communications chiefs have chopped and changed.
• Advisors on politics and policy 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 conversing with parliamentarians and listening to the citizens. Prime ministers also allocate too much time engaging with the press, which Sir Keir worsens by doing it poorly. Yet leaders cannot claim to be surprised when their politically appointed staff, who tend to be party activists or ambitious in politics, cross lines or become the story, as the chief of staff now has.

The biggest issues, though, are structural. It would be beneficial to believe that Sir Keir read the Institute for Government’s spring 2024 report on overhauling the government's central operations. His inability to address these matters in the summer or afterward implies he did not. The often abject performance of Labour’s time in office suggests recommendations like restructuring the roles of the Cabinet Office and No 10, and dividing the positions of cabinet secretary and civil service head, are currently critical.

The political pre-eminence of prime ministers greatly exceeds the assistance provided to them. Consequently, everything currently suffers, and much is done badly or ignored.

This isn't Sir Keir’s sole responsibility. He stands as the casualty of previous shortcomings as well as the author of current mistakes. But those who hoped Sir Keir might get a grip on the core and prioritize governmental structures have been disappointed. Unfortunately, the primary casualty from this shortcoming is Sir Keir himself.