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Sir Keir Starmer visited Wales' northern region this past Thursday to announce the development of a fresh nuclear energy facility. This represents a significant policy event with both local and national implications. Yet, the PM did not devote extensive time in Wales to promoting answers for the UK's power requirements. Instead, he used the time trying to put an end to the briefing controversy within Labour's leadership, informing journalists that Downing Street had not undermined the health secretary's goals in recent days.

As such, Sir Keir’s day acted as a microcosm of what his premiership has now become more generally. On the one hand, he desires his government to be performing, and to be perceived as performing, important things. Conversely, he is incapable to accomplish this due to the manner he – and, partly, the country as a whole – now conducts politics and government.

The Prime Minister cannot transform the political culture on his own, but he is able to do something about his personal involvement in it. The plain fact is that he could manage the centre of government much more effectively than he currently does. Should he achieve this, he could discover that the nation was in less despair about his government than it currently is, and that he was getting his messages across more successfully.

Personnel Problems in Downing Street

Some of the issues in Number 10 relate to personnel. The interpersonal relations of every Downing Street operation are hard to know well from outside. But it seems obvious that Sir Keir does not make sound staffing decisions, or stick with them. Perhaps he is too busy. Possibly he lacks genuine interest. But he needs to up his game, avoid slow progress or by halves.

• He hesitated about giving the crucial role of top civil servant to a senior official.
• He appointed a former official his top aide, then substituted her with a political strategist.
• He brought a Treasury figure in from the finance ministry as his chief secretary.
• His media advisors have chopped and changed.
• Political and policy advisers have entered and exited.
• It is a mess.

Structural Challenges at the Core of Government

Every prime minister spend too much time abroad and on foreign affairs, where Sir Keir should delegate more, and too little conversing with parliamentarians and listening to the citizens. Prime ministers also spend too much time doing media, which Sir Keir compounds by performing inadequately. Yet leaders cannot claim to be surprised when their political appointees, who are often party activists or politically ambitious, overstep boundaries or become the focus, as Mr McSweeney now has.

The biggest issues, however, are structural. It would be good to think that Sir Keir read the a think tank's spring 2024 report on overhauling the centre of government. His inability to address these matters in the summer or since suggests he did not. The often abject performance of the Labour administration indicates IfG proposals like restructuring the roles of the Cabinet Office and Downing Street, and dividing the positions of top official and civil service head, are now urgent.

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

This isn't Sir Keir’s sole responsibility. He is the victim of previous shortcomings along with the author of current mistakes. But those who hoped Sir Keir would take control of the centre and prioritize governmental structures have been disappointed. Sadly, the biggest loser from this shortcoming is Sir Keir personally.