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Prime Minister Starmer visited north Wales this past Thursday to declare the construction of a fresh nuclear energy facility. This is a significant policy event with implications at local and countrywide levels. Yet, the PM did not dedicate extensive time in Wales to promoting solutions for the UK's energy needs. Instead, he used the time trying to draw a line under the Labour leadership briefing row, 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 microcosm of what his premiership has evolved into more generally. Firstly, he wants his administration to be performing, and to be seen to be doing, important things. On the other hand, he is incapable to accomplish this because of the way he – and, partly, the country more generally – now practices politics and government.

Sir Keir is unable to transform the political culture single-handedly, but he is able to take action about his personal involvement in it. The plain fact is that he could manage the government's core far better than he currently does. Should he achieve this, he might find that the nation was in less dismay about his administration than it currently is, and that he was getting his messages across more effectively.

Staffing Issues in No 10

Some of the problems in Downing Street relate to personnel. The interpersonal relations of any No 10 regime are difficult to discern accurately from the exterior. But it seems obvious that Sir Keir does not make good personnel choices, or stick with them. Maybe he is overly occupied. Perhaps he is not really interested. But he needs to improve his performance, avoid slow progress or incompletely.

• He dithered about assigning the key job of cabinet secretary to Chris Wormald.
• He made a former official his chief of staff, then replaced her with Morgan McSweeney.
• He recruited a Treasury figure in from the finance ministry as his deputy.
• His communications chiefs have chopped and changed.
• Advisors on politics and policy have entered and exited.
• The situation is chaotic.

Systemic Issues at the Core of Government

All premiers spend too much time abroad and on international matters, areas where Sir Keir ought to assign more tasks, and too little conversing with parliamentarians and hearing the citizens. Prime ministers also allocate too much time engaging with the press, which Sir Keir worsens by performing inadequately. But premiers cannot claim to be surprised when their political appointees, who are often party activists or politically ambitious, cross lines or become the story, as the chief of staff now has.

The most significant problems, however, are systemic. It would be beneficial to think that Sir Keir reviewed the Institute for Government’s spring 2024 study on overhauling the government's central operations. His failure to address these matters in the summer or afterward suggests he did not. The frequently dismal performance of the Labour administration suggests recommendations 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 greatly exceeds the assistance provided to them. Consequently, everything currently suffers, and much is done badly or ignored.

This is not Sir Keir’s sole responsibility. He is the casualty of previous shortcomings along with the author of current mistakes. But those who hoped Sir Keir might get a grip on the core and prioritize governmental structures have been let down. Unfortunately, the biggest loser from this shortcoming is Sir Keir personally.