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Sir Keir Starmer traveled to north Wales this past Thursday to announce the building of a fresh nuclear energy facility. This is a significant policy event with both local and national implications. Yet, the prime minister did not dedicate much time in Wales to advocating answers for the UK's energy needs. Rather, he used the time trying to put an end to the briefing controversy within Labour's leadership, telling journalists that Downing Street had not briefed against the health secretary’s ambitions in recent days.

As such, Sir Keir’s day acted as a small-scale example of what his prime ministership has evolved into more generally. On the one hand, he desires his government to be performing, and to be seen to be doing, important things. Conversely, he is incapable to achieve this because of the way he – and, to an extent, the nation more generally – now practices political and governmental affairs.

Sir Keir is unable to change the culture of politics single-handedly, but he can take action about his personal involvement in it. The plain fact is that he could run the centre of government far better than he currently does. If he did this, he might find that the country was in less dismay about his administration than it currently is, and that he was communicating his points more successfully.

Personnel Problems in No 10

A number of the problems in Number 10 are about individuals. The interpersonal relations of every Downing Street operation are difficult to discern accurately from the exterior. But it seems obvious that Sir Keir fails to make sound staffing decisions, or stick with them. Maybe he is overly occupied. Possibly he lacks genuine interest. However, he must to improve his performance, avoid slow progress or by halves.

• He hesitated about assigning the crucial role of top civil servant to a senior official.
• He made Sue Gray his top aide, then replaced her with a political strategist.
• He brought a Treasury figure in from the finance ministry as his deputy.
• His media advisors have chopped and changed.
• Advisors on politics and policy have entered and exited.
• It is a mess.

Structural Challenges at the Core of Government

All premiers devote excessive time overseas and on foreign affairs, areas where Sir Keir ought to assign more tasks, and too little talking to MPs and hearing the citizens. Prime ministers also allocate too much time engaging with the press, which Sir Keir worsens by performing inadequately. Yet leaders cannot express surprise when their politically appointed staff, who are often party activists or ambitious in politics, overstep boundaries or become the focus, as the chief of staff has recently.

The biggest issues, though, are structural. It would be beneficial to believe that Sir Keir read the Institute for Government’s March 2024 report on reforming the government's central operations. His failure to grip these issues in the summer or since implies he did not. The often abject experience of the Labour administration indicates IfG proposals like reorganizing the roles of the central government office and Downing Street, and separating the jobs of cabinet secretary and head of the civil service, are now urgent.

The political pre-eminence of prime ministers greatly exceeds the support available to them. Consequently, everything currently suffers, and many tasks are poorly executed or ignored.

This isn't Sir Keir’s fault alone. He stands as the victim of previous shortcomings along with the author of present ones. But those who hoped Sir Keir would take control of the core and take the machinery of government seriously have been disappointed. Sadly, the biggest loser from this shortcoming is Sir Keir personally.