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Prime Minister Starmer traveled to north Wales on Thursday to announce the development of a new nuclear power station. This represents a significant policy event with implications at local and countrywide levels. However, the prime minister did not dedicate much time in Wales to promoting 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 undermined the health secretary's goals earlier this week.

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

Sir Keir is unable to transform the culture of politics single-handedly, but he can take action about his personal involvement in it. The simple truth is that he could run the government's core much more effectively than he does. If he did this, he might find that the country was in less dismay about his administration than it currently is, and that he was communicating his points more successfully.

Staffing Issues in No 10

Some of the problems in Downing Street 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 fails to make sound staffing decisions, or stick with them. Perhaps he is too busy. Possibly he lacks genuine interest. But he needs to up his game, avoid slow progress or incompletely.

• He dithered about assigning the key job of top civil servant to Chris Wormald.
• He appointed Sue Gray his chief of staff, then substituted her with a political strategist.
• He brought a Treasury figure in from the Treasury as his chief secretary.
• His communications chiefs have chopped and changed.
• Political and policy advisers have come and gone.
• It is a mess.

Systemic Issues at the Core of Government

All premiers spend too much time overseas and on foreign affairs, areas where Sir Keir ought to assign more tasks, and too little talking to MPs and hearing the public. Premiers also allocate too much time doing media, which Sir Keir worsens by doing it poorly. Yet leaders cannot claim to be surprised when their politically appointed staff, who tend to be party loyalists or ambitious in politics, overstep boundaries or become the focus, as Mr McSweeney now has.

The most significant problems, though, are structural. It would be good to think that Sir Keir reviewed the Institute for Government’s March 2024 study on reforming the government's central operations. His inability to address these matters in the summer or since implies he did not. The frequently dismal experience of the Labour administration suggests recommendations like reorganizing the functions of the central government office and Downing Street, and dividing the jobs of cabinet secretary and head of the civil service, are currently critical.

The dominant political role of PMs far outdistances the assistance provided to them. As a result, all aspects suffer, and much is done badly or neglected.

This is not Sir Keir’s sole responsibility. He stands as the casualty of previous shortcomings as well as the architect of current mistakes. But those who hoped Sir Keir would take control of the core and prioritize governmental structures have been let down. Unfortunately, the biggest loser from this failure is Sir Keir himself.