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Sir Keir Starmer visited Wales' northern region this past Thursday to declare the development of a new nuclear power station. This is a significant policy event with both local and national implications. However, the prime minister did not dedicate extensive time in Wales to promoting answers for the UK's energy needs. Rather, he spent it attempting to draw a line under the Labour leadership briefing row, informing journalists that No 10 had not undermined the health secretary’s ambitions earlier this week.

As such, Sir Keir’s day acted as a microcosm of what his prime ministership has now become overall. On the one hand, he wants his government to be doing, and to be perceived as performing, important things. Conversely, he is unable to achieve this because of the way he – and, partly, the country as a whole – now conducts political and governmental affairs.

The Prime Minister is unable to transform the political culture on his own, but he can do something 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. If he did 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 effectively.

Staffing Issues in Downing Street

Some of the problems in Number 10 are about individuals. The personal dynamics of every Downing Street operation are hard to know accurately from the exterior. But it seems obvious that Sir Keir does not make good personnel choices, or maintain them. Maybe he is overly occupied. Possibly he lacks genuine interest. However, he must to up his game, avoid slow progress or incompletely.

• He hesitated about giving the crucial role of cabinet secretary to Chris Wormald.
• He made Sue Gray his chief of staff, then replaced her with a political strategist.
• He brought a Treasury figure in from the Treasury as his deputy.
• His communications chiefs have chopped and changed.
• Advisors on politics and policy have entered and exited.
• It is a mess.

Systemic Issues at the Heart of Government

Every prime minister devote excessive time abroad and on foreign affairs, where Sir Keir should delegate more, and too little talking to MPs and hearing the public. Prime ministers also allocate too much time engaging with the press, which Sir Keir worsens by doing it poorly. Yet leaders cannot claim to be surprised when their political appointees, who are often party loyalists or politically ambitious, cross lines or become the story, as the chief of staff has recently.

The most significant problems, however, are systemic. It would be good to believe that Sir Keir read the a think tank's March 2024 report on reforming the centre of government. His inability to grip these issues last July or afterward implies he did not. The frequently dismal performance of Labour’s time in office indicates recommendations like restructuring the functions of the central government office and Downing Street, and dividing the jobs of cabinet secretary and head of the civil service, are now urgent.

The dominant political role of PMs far outdistances the support available to them. Consequently, 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 architect of current mistakes. Yet individuals who expected Sir Keir would take control of the centre and take the machinery of government seriously have been let down. Sadly, the primary casualty from this failure is Sir Keir himself.