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Prime Minister Starmer visited north Wales on Thursday to reveal the construction of a fresh nuclear energy facility. This is a major policy announcement with implications at local and countrywide levels. Yet, 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 briefing controversy within Labour's leadership, informing reporters that Downing Street had not undermined the health secretary's goals in recent days.

As such, Sir Keir’s day acted as a small-scale example of what his premiership has evolved into more generally. On the one hand, he wants his administration to be doing, and to be seen to be doing, important things. On the other hand, he is incapable to accomplish this due to the way he – and, partly, the country as a whole – now conducts politics and government.

The Prime Minister is unable to transform the political culture on his own, but he can do something about his own role in it. The plain fact is that he could run the centre of government far better than he does. If he did this, he might find that the nation was in less dismay about his government than it currently is, and that he was communicating his points more successfully.

Personnel Problems in No 10

Some of the problems in Downing Street are about personnel. The interpersonal relations of every Downing Street operation are hard to know well from outside. Yet it appears clear that Sir Keir does not make good personnel choices, or maintain them. Perhaps he is too busy. Possibly he lacks genuine interest. But he needs to improve his performance, avoid slow progress or incompletely.

• He hesitated about giving the crucial role of cabinet secretary to a senior official.
• He made Sue Gray his top aide, then replaced her with a political strategist.
• He recruited a Treasury figure in from the Treasury as his chief secretary.
• His communications chiefs have chopped and changed.
• Advisors on politics and policy 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, where Sir Keir should delegate more, and insufficient time talking to parliamentarians and listening to the public. Prime ministers also allocate too much time engaging with the press, which Sir Keir worsens by performing inadequately. Yet leaders cannot claim to be surprised when their politically appointed staff, who are often party loyalists or politically ambitious, cross lines or become the focus, as the chief of staff now has.

The biggest issues, though, are structural. It would be beneficial to believe that Sir Keir reviewed the a think tank's March 2024 report on reforming the centre of government. His failure to address these matters in the summer or since suggests he did not. The frequently dismal experience of the Labour administration suggests recommendations like restructuring the functions of the Cabinet Office and No 10, and dividing the positions of top official and head of the civil service, are currently critical.

The political pre-eminence of PMs greatly exceeds the assistance provided to them. Consequently, 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 as well as the architect of present ones. But those who hoped Sir Keir would take control of the centre and take the machinery of government seriously have been disappointed. Sadly, the biggest loser from this failure is Sir Keir himself.