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Sir Keir Starmer traveled to north Wales this past Thursday to declare the building of a fresh nuclear energy facility. This is a major policy announcement with both local and national implications. However, the prime minister did not dedicate much time in Wales to advocating solutions for the UK's energy needs. Instead, he spent it attempting to draw a line under the briefing controversy within Labour's leadership, informing reporters that Downing Street had not undermined the health secretary's goals earlier this week.

As such, Sir Keir’s day served as a small-scale example of what his prime ministership has evolved into overall. On the one hand, he desires his government to be doing, and to be perceived as performing, significant actions. Conversely, he is incapable to achieve this because of the way he – and, to an extent, the nation as a whole – now conducts politics and government.

Sir Keir is unable to transform the political culture on his own, but he can do something about his own role in it. The plain fact is that he could run the centre of government much more effectively than he does. If he did this, he could discover that the nation was in less dismay about his administration than it currently is, and that he was getting his messages across more effectively.

Staffing Issues in No 10

Some of the problems in Number 10 are about personnel. The interpersonal relations of every Downing Street operation are difficult to discern accurately from the exterior. But it seems obvious 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 by halves.

• He dithered about assigning the crucial role of cabinet secretary to Chris Wormald.
• He made Sue Gray his top aide, then substituted her with Morgan McSweeney.
• He brought a Treasury figure in from the Treasury as his chief secretary.
• His communications chiefs have chopped and changed.
• Advisors on politics and policy have come and gone.
• The situation is chaotic.

Systemic Issues at the Core of the Administration

Every prime minister spend too much time abroad and on foreign affairs, where Sir Keir should delegate more, and insufficient time conversing with MPs and hearing the citizens. Premiers also spend too much time doing media, which Sir Keir worsens by doing it poorly. Yet leaders cannot claim to be surprised when their political appointees, who tend to be party loyalists or ambitious in politics, overstep boundaries or become the focus, as the chief of staff has recently.

The most significant problems, though, are systemic. It would be beneficial to believe that Sir Keir reviewed the a think tank's March 2024 report on overhauling the government's central operations. His failure to grip these issues last July or since implies he did not. The frequently dismal experience of Labour’s time in office indicates recommendations like reorganizing the roles of the central government office and Downing Street, and dividing the positions of cabinet secretary and civil service head, are currently critical.

The dominant political role of PMs far outdistances the assistance provided to them. As a result, everything currently suffers, and many tasks are poorly executed or neglected.

This isn't Sir Keir’s fault alone. He stands as the victim of previous shortcomings along with the architect of current mistakes. But those who hoped Sir Keir would take control of the core and prioritize governmental structures have been disappointed. Unfortunately, the biggest loser from this failure is Sir Keir personally.