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Sir Keir Starmer visited north Wales this past Thursday to declare the building of a new nuclear power station. This represents a significant policy event with implications at local and countrywide levels. Yet, the PM did not dedicate extensive time in Wales to advocating solutions for the UK's power requirements. Rather, he used the time trying to put an end to the Labour leadership briefing row, telling journalists that No 10 had not briefed against the health secretary's goals in recent days.

Therefore, Sir Keir’s day acted as a microcosm of what his premiership has now become more generally. Firstly, he wants his administration to be doing, and to be perceived as performing, significant actions. On the other hand, he is incapable to achieve this due to the manner he – and, partly, the country more generally – now conducts political and governmental affairs.

The Prime Minister cannot change the political culture on his own, but he is able to do something about his own role in it. The plain fact is that he could run the government's core much more effectively than he currently does. If he did this, he could discover that the country was in less despair about his government than it is, and that he was communicating his points more successfully.

Personnel Problems in No 10

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

• He dithered about assigning the key job of top civil servant to a senior official.
• He appointed Sue Gray his chief of staff, then substituted her with Morgan McSweeney.
• He recruited a Treasury figure in from the finance ministry as his chief secretary.
• His communications chiefs have been frequently replaced.
• Political and policy advisers have come and gone.
• The situation is chaotic.

Structural Challenges at the Heart of Government

All premiers devote excessive time abroad and on foreign affairs, where Sir Keir should delegate more, and too little talking to MPs and hearing the citizens. Premiers also allocate 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 politically ambitious, overstep boundaries or become the focus, as Mr McSweeney has recently.

The biggest issues, though, are structural. It would be beneficial to believe that Sir Keir reviewed the a think tank's March 2024 study on overhauling the centre of government. His inability to address these matters last July or afterward implies he did not. The frequently dismal experience of Labour’s time in office suggests recommendations like reorganizing the roles of the central government office and Downing Street, and separating the jobs of top official and head of the civil service, are now urgent.

The political pre-eminence of PMs far outdistances the support available to them. Consequently, everything currently suffers, and much is done badly or ignored.

This is not Sir Keir’s sole responsibility. He stands as the victim of past failures along with the author of current mistakes. But those who hoped Sir Keir might get a grip on the core and take the machinery of government seriously have been disappointed. Unfortunately, the primary casualty from this failure is Sir Keir personally.