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Sir Keir Starmer traveled to Wales' northern region on Thursday to reveal the development of a fresh nuclear energy facility. This represents a significant policy event with implications at local and countrywide levels. However, the prime minister did not dedicate extensive time in Wales to promoting solutions for the UK's power requirements. Rather, he used the time attempting to draw a line under the Labour leadership briefing row, informing journalists that No 10 had not briefed against the health secretary’s ambitions in recent days.

As such, Sir Keir’s day acted as a microcosm of what his prime ministership has now become more generally. Firstly, he desires his government to be performing, and to be perceived as performing, significant actions. Conversely, he is unable to achieve this because of the manner he – and, partly, the nation as a whole – now practices politics and government.

The Prime Minister is unable to transform the political culture on his own, but he is able to do something about his own role in it. The simple truth is that he could manage the centre of government far better than he does. Should he achieve this, he could discover that the country was in less dismay about his administration than it currently is, and that he was communicating his points more effectively.

Personnel Problems in Downing Street

A number of the problems in Downing Street are about personnel. The personal dynamics of any No 10 regime are difficult to discern well from outside. Yet it appears clear that Sir Keir fails to make good personnel choices, or maintain them. Perhaps he is too busy. Possibly he lacks genuine interest. But he needs to up his game, not do things slowly or by halves.

• He dithered about assigning the crucial role of cabinet secretary to a senior official.
• He made Sue Gray his top aide, then substituted her with a political strategist.
• He brought 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.

Structural Challenges at the Heart of Government

Every prime minister spend too much time abroad and on foreign affairs, areas where Sir Keir ought to assign more tasks, and too little talking to parliamentarians and hearing the public. Prime ministers also spend too much time doing media, which Sir Keir worsens by doing it poorly. But premiers cannot express surprise when their political appointees, who are often party loyalists or ambitious in politics, cross lines or become the story, as Mr McSweeney has recently.

The biggest issues, though, are structural. It would be beneficial to believe that Sir Keir read the a think tank's spring 2024 study on reforming the government's central operations. His inability to grip these issues in the summer or afterward suggests he did not. The often abject performance of Labour’s time in office suggests recommendations like reorganizing the functions of the Cabinet Office and No 10, and separating the jobs of top official and head of the civil service, are currently critical.

The dominant political role of prime ministers greatly exceeds the support available to them. As a result, everything currently suffers, and many tasks are poorly executed or neglected.

This is not Sir Keir’s fault alone. He is the victim of previous shortcomings as well as the architect of current mistakes. Yet individuals who expected Sir Keir would take control of the centre and prioritize governmental structures have been let down. Sadly, the biggest loser from this shortcoming is Sir Keir himself.