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Sir Keir 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 both local and national implications. Yet, the PM did not dedicate much time in Wales to promoting solutions for the UK's power requirements. Instead, he used the time attempting to put an end to the briefing controversy within Labour's leadership, telling reporters that No 10 had not briefed against 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 administration to be performing, and to be perceived as performing, significant actions. Conversely, he is unable to achieve this due to the way he – and, to an extent, the country as a whole – now conducts political and governmental affairs.

The Prime Minister cannot transform the culture of politics single-handedly, but he is able to do something about his own role in it. The simple truth is that he could run the centre of government much more effectively than he currently does. If he did this, he might find that the nation was in less despair about his administration than it currently is, and that he was communicating his points more successfully.

Staffing Issues in Downing Street

Some of the issues in Number 10 relate to individuals. The personal dynamics of every Downing Street operation are hard to know accurately from the exterior. Yet it appears clear that Sir Keir fails to make good personnel choices, or maintain them. Perhaps he is too busy. Perhaps he is not really interested. But he needs to improve his performance, avoid slow progress or by halves.

• He hesitated about assigning the key job of top civil servant 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 media advisors have chopped and changed.
• Advisors on politics and policy have come and gone.
• The situation is chaotic.

Structural Challenges at the Core of Government

All premiers spend too much time abroad and on international matters, where Sir Keir should delegate more, and insufficient time conversing with MPs 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 express surprise when their political appointees, who are often party loyalists or ambitious in politics, cross lines or become the story, as the chief of staff has recently.

The most significant problems, though, are structural. It would be good to believe that Sir Keir read the Institute for Government’s spring 2024 study on reforming the government's central operations. His inability to grip these issues in the summer or since suggests he did not. The frequently dismal experience of Labour’s time in office suggests recommendations like restructuring the functions of the Cabinet Office and Downing Street, and separating the positions of top official and head of the civil service, are currently critical.

The dominant political role of prime ministers far outdistances the support available to them. As a result, everything currently suffers, and much is done badly or neglected.

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.