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Sir Keir Starmer visited Wales' northern region this past Thursday to declare the construction of a fresh nuclear energy facility. This represents a major policy announcement with both local and national implications. Yet, the prime minister did not dedicate much time in Wales to promoting solutions for the UK's power requirements. Instead, he spent it attempting to put an end to the Labour leadership briefing row, informing reporters that Downing Street had not undermined the health secretary's goals earlier this week.

Therefore, Sir Keir’s day served as a microcosm of what his premiership has now become more generally. Firstly, he desires his administration 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, partly, the nation as a whole – now practices political and governmental affairs.

Sir Keir is unable to transform the culture of politics on his own, but he can take action 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 despair about his government than it currently is, and that he was communicating his points more successfully.

Personnel Problems in Downing Street

A number of the problems in Downing Street relate to personnel. The personal dynamics of any No 10 regime are hard to know accurately from the exterior. But it seems obvious that Sir Keir fails to make good personnel choices, or maintain them. Perhaps he is too busy. Possibly he lacks genuine interest. However, he must to up his game, not do things slowly or by halves.

• He dithered about giving the key job of cabinet secretary to a senior official.
• He made a former official his top aide, then replaced her with a political strategist.
• He brought a Treasury figure in from the finance ministry as his deputy.
• His communications chiefs have chopped and changed.
• Political and policy advisers have come and gone.
• The situation is chaotic.

Systemic Issues at the Heart of the Administration

All premiers devote excessive time overseas and on foreign affairs, areas where Sir Keir ought to assign more tasks, and insufficient time conversing with MPs and listening to the public. Premiers also spend too much time doing media, which Sir Keir worsens by doing it poorly. But premiers cannot claim to be surprised when their politically appointed staff, who are often party activists or politically ambitious, cross lines or become the focus, as the chief of staff now has.

The most significant problems, however, are systemic. It would be good to believe that Sir Keir reviewed the Institute for Government’s March 2024 study on reforming the centre of government. His failure to address these matters last July or afterward suggests he did not. The often abject performance of the Labour administration indicates recommendations like reorganizing the roles of the Cabinet Office and Downing Street, and dividing the positions of cabinet secretary and head of the civil service, are now urgent.

The dominant political role of prime ministers 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 casualty of previous shortcomings 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 disappointed. Unfortunately, the primary casualty from this failure is Sir Keir personally.