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Prime Minister Starmer visited Wales' northern region this past Thursday to announce the construction of a fresh nuclear energy facility. This is a significant policy event with both local and national implications. Yet, the prime minister did not dedicate extensive time in Wales to advocating solutions for the UK's energy needs. Rather, he used the time attempting to draw a line under the briefing controversy within Labour's leadership, telling reporters that Downing Street had not undermined the health secretary’s ambitions in recent days.

Therefore, Sir Keir’s day acted as a microcosm of what his prime ministership has evolved into more generally. Firstly, he wants his government to be performing, and to be seen to be doing, significant actions. Conversely, he is unable to achieve this due to the way he – and, partly, the nation as a whole – now conducts politics and government.

Sir Keir is unable to change the political culture single-handedly, but he can take action about his personal involvement in it. The plain fact is that he could run the centre of government much more effectively than he currently does. Should he achieve this, he might find that the country was in less despair about his government than it currently is, and that he was getting his messages across more successfully.

Staffing Issues in Downing Street

A number of the problems in Downing Street are about individuals. The interpersonal relations of any No 10 regime are hard to know well from outside. Yet it appears clear that Sir Keir does not make sound staffing decisions, or stick with them. Perhaps he is too busy. Possibly he lacks genuine interest. However, he must to improve his performance, not do things slowly or by halves.

• He hesitated about giving the key job of top civil servant to a senior official.
• He appointed Sue Gray his chief of staff, then replaced her with Morgan McSweeney.
• He brought Darren Jones in from the finance ministry as his deputy.
• His media advisors have been frequently replaced.
• Political and policy advisers have entered and exited.
• The situation is chaotic.

Systemic Issues 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 parliamentarians and listening to the citizens. Prime ministers also spend too much time engaging with the press, which Sir Keir worsens by doing it poorly. Yet leaders cannot express surprise when their political appointees, who are often party loyalists or politically ambitious, overstep boundaries or become the focus, as the chief of staff has recently.

The biggest issues, however, are systemic. It would be beneficial to believe that Sir Keir reviewed the Institute for Government’s spring 2024 study on reforming the centre of government. His inability to grip these issues last July or afterward implies he did not. The often abject performance of the Labour administration suggests recommendations like reorganizing the functions of the central government office and No 10, and dividing the jobs of cabinet secretary and civil service head, are now urgent.

The political pre-eminence of prime ministers far outdistances the support available to them. Consequently, everything currently suffers, and many tasks are poorly executed or ignored.

This isn't Sir Keir’s fault alone. He is the casualty of past failures along with the author of present ones. Yet individuals who expected Sir Keir would take control of the core and take the machinery of government seriously have been disappointed. Unfortunately, the biggest loser from this shortcoming is Sir Keir personally.