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Prime Minister Starmer traveled to north Wales this past Thursday to reveal the development of a fresh nuclear energy facility. This represents a major policy announcement with implications at local and countrywide levels. Yet, the prime minister did not devote much time in Wales to advocating answers for the UK's power requirements. Instead, he used the time attempting to put an end to the briefing controversy within Labour's leadership, informing journalists that Downing Street had not briefed against the health secretary’s ambitions in recent days.

As such, Sir Keir’s day served as a small-scale example of what his prime ministership has now become more generally. On the one hand, he wants his government to be performing, and to be seen to be doing, important things. Conversely, he is unable to accomplish this due to the manner he – and, to an extent, the nation more generally – now conducts political and governmental affairs.

The Prime Minister 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 manage the centre of government far better than he currently does. Should he achieve this, he might find that the nation was in less despair about his administration than it is, and that he was communicating his points more successfully.

Staffing Issues in Downing Street

Some of the issues in Number 10 are about individuals. The interpersonal relations of any No 10 regime are hard to know accurately from the exterior. But it seems obvious that Sir Keir fails to make sound staffing decisions, or stick with them. Maybe he is overly occupied. Possibly he lacks genuine interest. However, he must to up his game, not do things slowly or incompletely.

• He hesitated about giving the key job of top civil servant to a senior official.
• He made Sue Gray his chief of staff, then replaced her with a political strategist.
• He recruited Darren Jones in from the Treasury as his chief secretary.
• His media advisors have been frequently replaced.
• Advisors on politics and policy have come and gone.
• The situation is chaotic.

Systemic Issues at the Core of Government

Every prime minister spend too much time abroad and on foreign affairs, areas where Sir Keir ought to assign more tasks, and too little talking to parliamentarians and listening to the citizens. Premiers also allocate too much time engaging with the press, which Sir Keir compounds by doing it poorly. But premiers cannot express surprise when their political appointees, who are often party loyalists or politically ambitious, cross lines or become the story, as Mr McSweeney has recently.

The most significant problems, though, are systemic. It would be beneficial to think that Sir Keir read the a think tank's March 2024 study on overhauling the centre of government. His inability to address these matters in the summer or since implies he did not. The often abject performance of Labour’s time in office suggests IfG proposals like restructuring the functions of the Cabinet Office and Downing Street, and separating the jobs of top official and head of the civil service, are now urgent.

The dominant political role of PMs greatly exceeds the support available to them. As a result, everything currently suffers, and much is done badly or neglected.

This isn't Sir Keir’s sole responsibility. He is the casualty of past failures along with the architect of present ones. Yet individuals who expected Sir Keir would take control of the centre and prioritize governmental structures have been let down. Sadly, the primary casualty from this failure is Sir Keir himself.