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Prime Minister Starmer visited Wales' northern region this past Thursday to reveal the development of a fresh nuclear energy facility. This represents a significant policy event with implications at local and countrywide levels. However, the PM did not devote much time in Wales to advocating answers for the UK's power requirements. Instead, he spent it trying to draw a line under the briefing controversy within Labour's leadership, telling reporters that Downing Street had not briefed against the health secretary's goals earlier this week.

Therefore, Sir Keir’s day served as a small-scale example of what his prime ministership has now become overall. On the one hand, he wants his administration to be doing, and to be seen to be doing, important things. On the other hand, he is incapable to accomplish this due to the way he – and, to an extent, the country as a whole – now conducts political and governmental affairs.

Sir Keir cannot transform the culture of politics single-handedly, but he is able to take action about his personal involvement in it. The simple truth is that he could manage the centre of government much more effectively than he does. If he did this, he might find that the nation was in less dismay about his government than it currently is, and that he was getting his messages across more effectively.

Personnel Problems in Downing Street

Some of the issues in Downing Street are about personnel. The interpersonal relations of every Downing Street operation are difficult to discern accurately from the exterior. Yet it appears clear that Sir Keir fails to make sound staffing decisions, or stick with them. Maybe he is overly occupied. Possibly he lacks genuine interest. However, he must to up his game, avoid slow progress or by halves.

• He dithered about assigning the crucial role of cabinet secretary to a senior official.
• He appointed a former official his chief of staff, then replaced her with a political strategist.
• He recruited a Treasury figure in from the finance ministry as his chief secretary.
• His media advisors have chopped and changed.
• Political and policy advisers have come and gone.
• The situation is chaotic.

Systemic Issues at the Core of the Administration

Every prime minister spend too much time overseas and on foreign affairs, areas where Sir Keir ought to assign more tasks, and insufficient time conversing with MPs and listening to the citizens. Premiers also allocate too much time doing media, which Sir Keir compounds by doing it poorly. But premiers cannot express surprise when their political appointees, who tend to be party loyalists or politically ambitious, overstep boundaries or become the story, as the chief of staff has recently.

The biggest issues, though, are structural. It would be good to think that Sir Keir read the Institute for Government’s March 2024 report on reforming the centre of government. His failure to address these matters last July or afterward implies he did not. The frequently dismal performance of the Labour administration suggests recommendations like reorganizing the roles of the central government office and No 10, and dividing the positions of top official and civil service head, are currently critical.

The political pre-eminence of prime ministers greatly exceeds the support available to them. As a result, all aspects suffer, and much is done badly or ignored.

This isn't Sir Keir’s sole responsibility. He is the casualty of past failures as well as the architect of current mistakes. But those who hoped Sir Keir would take control of the core and take the machinery of government seriously have been let down. Sadly, the primary casualty from this failure is Sir Keir personally.