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Prime Minister Starmer visited north Wales on Thursday to announce the construction of a new nuclear power station. This represents a major policy announcement with both local and national implications. However, the PM 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 Labour leadership briefing row, informing journalists that Downing Street had not undermined the health secretary’s ambitions in recent days.

Therefore, Sir Keir’s day acted as a small-scale example of what his premiership has now become more generally. On the one hand, he desires his administration to be doing, and to be perceived as performing, significant actions. On the other hand, he is unable to achieve this because of the manner he – and, to an extent, the country more generally – now conducts politics and government.

The Prime Minister is unable to change the political culture single-handedly, but he can do something about his own role in it. The simple truth is that he could manage the centre of government much more effectively than he currently does. Should he achieve this, he could discover that the country was in less despair about his administration than it is, and that he was communicating his points more effectively.

Personnel Problems in No 10

Some of the issues in Downing Street are about individuals. The interpersonal relations of every Downing Street operation are difficult to discern well from outside. But it seems obvious that Sir Keir fails to make good personnel choices, or maintain them. Maybe he is overly occupied. Perhaps he is not really interested. But he needs to improve his performance, avoid slow progress or by halves.

• He dithered about giving the key job of top civil servant to Chris Wormald.
• He appointed Sue Gray his chief of staff, then substituted her with Morgan McSweeney.
• He brought a Treasury figure in from the finance ministry as his chief secretary.
• His media advisors have been frequently replaced.
• Advisors on politics and policy have entered and exited.
• It is a mess.

Structural Challenges at the Core of Government

All premiers spend too much time abroad and on foreign affairs, where Sir Keir should delegate more, and too little conversing with parliamentarians and hearing the public. Premiers also spend too much time doing media, which Sir Keir worsens by performing inadequately. Yet leaders cannot claim to be surprised when their political appointees, who tend to be party loyalists or ambitious in politics, overstep boundaries or become the focus, as Mr McSweeney has recently.

The most significant problems, though, are systemic. It would be beneficial to believe that Sir Keir read the Institute for Government’s March 2024 study on overhauling the government's central operations. His inability to grip these issues in the summer or since suggests he did not. The frequently dismal performance of the Labour administration indicates recommendations like restructuring the functions of the Cabinet Office and Downing Street, and separating the positions of cabinet secretary and civil service head, are now urgent.

The political pre-eminence of PMs far outdistances the assistance provided to them. Consequently, everything currently suffers, and many tasks are poorly executed or ignored.

This is not Sir Keir’s fault alone. He is the victim of past failures as well as the architect of current mistakes. Yet individuals who expected Sir Keir would take control of the core and take the machinery of government seriously have been let down. Sadly, the biggest loser from this shortcoming is Sir Keir himself.