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Prime Minister Starmer traveled to Wales' northern region this past Thursday to announce the construction of a fresh nuclear energy facility. This is a significant policy event with implications at local and countrywide levels. However, the prime minister did not devote extensive time in Wales to advocating solutions for the UK's power requirements. Instead, he used the time trying to put an end to the Labour leadership briefing row, telling reporters that Downing Street had not undermined the health secretary's goals in recent days.

Therefore, Sir Keir’s day served as a small-scale example of what his prime ministership has now become more generally. On the one hand, he wants his government to be doing, and to be perceived as performing, significant actions. Conversely, he is unable to accomplish this due to the manner he – and, to an extent, the nation as a whole – now conducts politics and government.

Sir Keir cannot transform the culture of politics single-handedly, but he can take action about his own role in it. The simple truth is that he could manage the government's core far better than he does. If he did this, he could discover that the country was in less despair about his government than it is, and that he was getting his messages across more successfully.

Personnel Problems in Downing Street

Some of the problems in Number 10 are about personnel. The interpersonal relations of any No 10 regime are difficult to discern well from outside. 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. However, he must to improve his performance, avoid slow progress or by halves.

• He hesitated about giving the crucial role of cabinet secretary to a senior official.
• He made a former official his chief of staff, then replaced her with a political strategist.
• He brought Darren Jones in from the Treasury as his chief secretary.
• His communications chiefs 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

All premiers spend too much time abroad and on foreign affairs, areas where Sir Keir ought to assign more tasks, and insufficient time conversing with parliamentarians and listening to the public. Premiers also allocate too much time doing media, which Sir Keir worsens by performing inadequately. But premiers cannot express surprise when their political appointees, who tend to be party activists or ambitious in politics, cross lines or become the focus, as Mr McSweeney now has.

The most significant problems, however, are structural. It would be good to think that Sir Keir reviewed the a think tank's March 2024 report on overhauling the centre of government. His failure to grip these issues last July or afterward implies he did not. The often abject performance of the Labour administration indicates IfG proposals like restructuring the functions of the central government office and Downing Street, and dividing the positions of cabinet secretary and civil service head, are currently critical.

The dominant political role of PMs greatly exceeds the assistance provided to them. Consequently, all aspects suffer, and many tasks are poorly executed or neglected.

This is not Sir Keir’s sole responsibility. He stands as the casualty of past failures as well as the architect of present ones. But those who hoped Sir Keir would take control of the core and prioritize governmental structures have been let down. Unfortunately, the primary casualty from this shortcoming is Sir Keir himself.