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Prime Minister Starmer traveled to Wales' northern region on Thursday to reveal the development of a new nuclear power station. This represents a significant policy event with implications at local and countrywide levels. However, the prime minister did not dedicate extensive time in Wales to promoting solutions for the UK's power requirements. Rather, he spent it trying to put an end to the Labour leadership briefing row, telling journalists that No 10 had not undermined the health secretary’s ambitions earlier this week.

Therefore, Sir Keir’s day served as a microcosm of what his prime ministership has now become overall. On the one hand, he wants his government to be doing, and to be perceived as performing, important things. Conversely, he is unable to accomplish this because of the way he – and, partly, the nation as a whole – now conducts politics and government.

Sir Keir cannot change the culture of politics single-handedly, but he can take action about his own role in it. The plain fact is that he could manage the centre of government far better than he currently does. Should he achieve this, he might find that the country was in less dismay about his government than it currently is, and that he was getting his messages across more effectively.

Personnel Problems in No 10

A number of the issues in Number 10 relate to individuals. The interpersonal relations of any No 10 regime are hard to know well from outside. Yet it appears clear that Sir Keir fails to make sound staffing decisions, or stick with them. Maybe he is overly occupied. Perhaps he is not really interested. But he needs to up his game, not do things slowly or incompletely.

• He hesitated about assigning the crucial role of cabinet secretary to Chris Wormald.
• He appointed a former official his top aide, then replaced her with a political strategist.
• He brought a Treasury figure in from the Treasury as his deputy.
• His communications chiefs have been frequently replaced.
• Political and policy advisers have come and gone.
• It is a mess.

Systemic Issues at the Heart of the Administration

All premiers spend too much time abroad and on foreign affairs, areas where Sir Keir ought to assign more tasks, and too little talking to parliamentarians and listening to the public. Premiers also allocate too much time engaging with the press, which Sir Keir compounds by doing it poorly. Yet leaders cannot claim to be surprised when their political appointees, who are often party loyalists or ambitious in politics, overstep boundaries or become the focus, as Mr McSweeney has recently.

The biggest issues, however, are systemic. It would be beneficial to believe that Sir Keir reviewed the a think tank's March 2024 report on overhauling the centre of government. His inability to grip these issues last July or afterward implies he did not. The frequently dismal performance of Labour’s time in office indicates recommendations like reorganizing the functions of the central government office and Downing Street, and separating the positions of top official and civil service head, are now urgent.

The political pre-eminence of PMs far outdistances the assistance provided to them. As a result, all aspects suffer, and much is done badly or neglected.

This is not Sir Keir’s fault alone. He stands as the victim of previous shortcomings along with the architect of current mistakes. But those who hoped Sir Keir would take control of the core and prioritize governmental structures have been let down. Sadly, the biggest loser from this failure is Sir Keir himself.