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Sir Keir Starmer traveled to north Wales this past Thursday to declare the building of a new nuclear power station. This represents a major policy announcement with both local and national implications. Yet, the prime minister did not devote extensive time in Wales to advocating answers for the UK's power requirements. Instead, he used the time attempting to draw a line under the Labour leadership briefing row, telling reporters that No 10 had not undermined the health secretary’s ambitions earlier this week.

As such, Sir Keir’s day served as a small-scale example of what his premiership has evolved into more generally. On the one hand, he wants his administration to be doing, and to be perceived as performing, important things. On the other hand, he is incapable to achieve this because of the way he – and, partly, the nation more generally – now conducts political and governmental affairs.

The Prime Minister cannot transform the political culture single-handedly, but he is able to do something about his personal involvement in it. The simple truth is that he could run the centre of government far better than he does. Should he achieve this, he might find that the country was in less dismay about his administration than it is, and that he was getting his messages across more successfully.

Staffing Issues in Downing Street

A number of the issues in Number 10 are about personnel. The personal dynamics of every Downing Street operation are hard to know accurately from the exterior. Yet it appears clear that Sir Keir fails to make sound staffing decisions, or stick with them. Maybe he is overly occupied. Possibly he lacks genuine interest. But he needs to improve his performance, not do things slowly or by halves.

• He hesitated about giving the crucial role of cabinet secretary to Chris Wormald.
• He appointed a former official his top aide, then replaced her with Morgan McSweeney.
• He recruited Darren Jones in from the Treasury as his deputy.
• His media advisors have been frequently replaced.
• Political and policy advisers have come and gone.
• The situation is chaotic.

Structural Challenges at the Heart of the Administration

All premiers spend too much time overseas and on international matters, where Sir Keir should delegate more, and too little conversing with MPs and listening to the citizens. Premiers also allocate 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 tend to be party activists or ambitious in politics, overstep boundaries or become the focus, as Mr McSweeney now has.

The most significant problems, however, are systemic. It would be beneficial to think that Sir Keir read the a think tank's March 2024 report on reforming the government's central operations. His failure to grip these issues 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 No 10, and dividing the jobs of top official and head of the civil service, are now urgent.

The dominant political role of PMs far outdistances the assistance provided to them. Consequently, everything currently suffers, and much is done badly or neglected.

This is not Sir Keir’s fault alone. He is the casualty of previous shortcomings as well as the author of current mistakes. But those who hoped Sir Keir would take control of the centre and take the machinery of government seriously have been disappointed. Sadly, the primary casualty from this failure is Sir Keir himself.