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Sir Keir Starmer traveled to north Wales this past Thursday to declare 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 answers for the UK's power requirements. Rather, he used the time attempting to draw a line under the briefing controversy within Labour's leadership, telling journalists 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 premiership has evolved into overall. On the one hand, he desires his government to be performing, and to be perceived as performing, important things. On the other hand, he is incapable to achieve this because of the manner he – and, to an extent, the country more generally – now conducts political and governmental affairs.

The Prime Minister is unable to change the culture of politics single-handedly, but he can take action about his personal involvement in it. The plain fact is that he could manage 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 is, and that he was communicating his points more successfully.

Personnel Problems in No 10

Some of the issues in Downing Street relate to individuals. The personal dynamics of any No 10 regime are difficult to discern well from outside. Yet it appears clear that Sir Keir does not make sound staffing decisions, or maintain them. Perhaps he is too busy. Perhaps he is not really interested. But he needs to improve his performance, not do things slowly or incompletely.

• He dithered about assigning the key job of cabinet secretary to a senior official.
• He made a former official his chief of staff, then substituted her with Morgan McSweeney.
• He recruited a Treasury figure in from the finance ministry as his deputy.
• His media advisors have been frequently replaced.
• Advisors on politics and policy have entered and exited.
• The situation is chaotic.

Systemic Issues at the Heart of Government

All premiers devote excessive time overseas and on foreign affairs, areas where Sir Keir ought to assign more tasks, and too little talking to parliamentarians and hearing the public. Premiers also allocate too much time doing media, which Sir Keir worsens by performing inadequately. But premiers cannot express surprise when their politically appointed staff, who tend to be party loyalists or ambitious in politics, overstep boundaries or become the story, as the chief of staff has recently.

The most significant problems, though, are systemic. It would be good to believe that Sir Keir reviewed the Institute for Government’s spring 2024 report on overhauling the government's central operations. His inability to address these matters in the summer or afterward implies he did not. The often abject performance of Labour’s time in office indicates recommendations like restructuring the functions of the central government office and No 10, and dividing the positions of cabinet secretary and civil service head, are currently critical.

The dominant political role of prime ministers greatly exceeds the support available to them. As a result, all aspects suffer, and much is done badly or neglected.

This is not Sir Keir’s fault alone. He stands as the casualty of previous shortcomings as well as the author of present ones. 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.