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Sir Keir Starmer visited Wales' northern region this past Thursday to announce the construction 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 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 No 10 had not briefed against the health secretary’s ambitions in recent days.

Therefore, Sir Keir’s day served as a microcosm of what his prime ministership has evolved into overall. Firstly, he wants his administration to be doing, and to be perceived as performing, important things. On the other hand, he is unable to accomplish this because of the way he – and, partly, the nation as a whole – now practices politics and government.

Sir Keir cannot change the culture of politics on his own, but he can take action about his own role in it. The simple truth is that he could run the government's core much more effectively than he currently does. Should he achieve this, he might find that the nation was in less dismay about his government than it currently is, and that he was getting his messages across more successfully.

Personnel Problems in No 10

A number of the problems in Number 10 are about individuals. The personal dynamics of every Downing Street operation are difficult to discern accurately from the exterior. Yet it appears clear that Sir Keir fails to make good personnel choices, or stick with them. Maybe he is overly occupied. Possibly he lacks genuine interest. However, he must to up his game, not do things slowly or by halves.

• He dithered about assigning the crucial role of top civil servant to a senior official.
• He made Sue Gray his chief of staff, then replaced her with a political strategist.
• He recruited a Treasury figure in from the Treasury as his chief secretary.
• His media advisors 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 devote excessive time overseas and on international matters, where Sir Keir should delegate more, and too little conversing with parliamentarians and listening to the public. Premiers 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 loyalists or ambitious in politics, overstep boundaries or become the focus, as the chief of staff now has.

The most significant problems, however, are systemic. It would be beneficial to believe that Sir Keir reviewed the a think tank's spring 2024 report on reforming the government's central operations. His inability to grip these issues in the summer or since suggests he did not. The often abject experience of the Labour administration indicates IfG proposals like restructuring the functions of the central government office and No 10, and separating the jobs of cabinet secretary and civil service head, are currently critical.

The political pre-eminence of PMs far outdistances the assistance provided to them. As a result, all aspects suffer, and many tasks are poorly executed or ignored.

This is not Sir Keir’s fault alone. He stands as the victim of previous shortcomings as well as the author of current mistakes. But those who hoped Sir Keir would take control of the centre and prioritize governmental structures have been let down. Unfortunately, the biggest loser from this failure is Sir Keir personally.