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Sir Keir Starmer traveled to north Wales on Thursday to declare the building of a fresh nuclear energy facility. This represents a significant policy event with both local and national implications. Yet, the prime minister did not devote much time in Wales to advocating solutions for the UK's energy needs. Rather, he spent it attempting to draw a line under the Labour leadership briefing row, informing reporters that No 10 had not briefed against the health secretary’s ambitions in recent days.

As such, Sir Keir’s day acted as a small-scale example of what his prime ministership has now become overall. On the one hand, he desires his administration to be doing, and to be seen to be doing, important things. On the other hand, he is incapable to achieve this because of the manner he – and, partly, the nation more generally – now practices political and governmental affairs.

Sir Keir cannot transform the political culture single-handedly, 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 much more effectively than he currently does. Should he achieve this, he could discover that the nation was in less despair about his government than it is, and that he was getting his messages across more successfully.

Personnel Problems in Downing Street

Some of the problems in Downing Street relate to personnel. The personal dynamics of any No 10 regime are hard to know well from outside. Yet it appears clear that Sir Keir fails to make sound staffing decisions, or maintain them. Perhaps he is too busy. Possibly he lacks genuine interest. But he needs to improve his performance, avoid slow progress or by halves.

• He dithered about giving the crucial role of top civil servant to a senior official.
• He appointed Sue Gray his top aide, then replaced her with Morgan McSweeney.
• He brought Darren Jones in from the Treasury as his deputy.
• His communications chiefs have been frequently replaced.
• Political and policy advisers have come and gone.
• The situation is chaotic.

Systemic Issues at the Core of Government

Every prime minister spend too much time overseas and on international matters, areas where Sir Keir ought to assign more tasks, and insufficient time conversing with parliamentarians and listening to the public. Premiers also allocate too much time doing media, which Sir Keir compounds by doing it poorly. Yet leaders cannot claim to be surprised when their politically appointed staff, who are often party activists or ambitious in politics, overstep boundaries or become the focus, as the chief of staff has recently.

The most significant problems, though, are structural. 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 failure to grip these issues last July or since implies he did not. The frequently dismal experience of Labour’s time in office suggests IfG proposals like reorganizing the roles of the Cabinet Office and No 10, and dividing the jobs of cabinet secretary and head of the civil service, are now urgent.

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

This is not Sir Keir’s sole responsibility. He is the casualty of previous shortcomings along with the author of current mistakes. But those who hoped Sir Keir would take control of the core and take the machinery of government seriously have been let down. Sadly, the primary casualty from this failure is Sir Keir personally.