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Sir Keir Starmer traveled to north Wales on Thursday to reveal the building of a new nuclear power station. This represents a major policy announcement with implications at local and countrywide levels. Yet, the prime minister did not dedicate much time in Wales to advocating answers for the UK's power requirements. Instead, he used the time attempting to draw a line under the Labour leadership briefing row, informing reporters that Downing Street had not briefed against the health secretary's goals in recent days.

As such, Sir Keir’s day acted as a small-scale example of what his premiership has evolved into overall. On the one hand, he wants his government to be doing, and to be seen to be doing, significant actions. Conversely, he is unable to achieve this because of the manner he – and, to an extent, the nation as a whole – now conducts political and governmental affairs.

The Prime Minister cannot change the culture of politics on his own, but he is able to take action 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 country was in less despair about his administration than it is, and that he was communicating his points more effectively.

Staffing Issues in No 10

A number of the problems in Number 10 are about personnel. The personal dynamics of any No 10 regime are hard to know accurately from the exterior. But it seems obvious that Sir Keir does not make sound staffing decisions, or stick with them. Perhaps he is too busy. Perhaps he is not really interested. However, he must to improve his performance, avoid slow progress or incompletely.

• He dithered about giving the crucial role of cabinet secretary to Chris Wormald.
• He appointed a former official his chief of staff, then substituted her with Morgan McSweeney.
• He brought Darren Jones in from the finance ministry as his chief secretary.
• 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 conversing with parliamentarians and listening to the citizens. Premiers also allocate too much time doing media, which Sir Keir worsens by performing inadequately. But premiers cannot claim to be surprised when their political appointees, who are often party loyalists or politically ambitious, overstep boundaries or become the focus, as Mr McSweeney has recently.

The most significant problems, however, are structural. It would be good to think that Sir Keir reviewed the a think tank's spring 2024 report on reforming the government's central operations. His failure to grip these issues last July or since suggests he did not. The often abject experience of the Labour administration indicates IfG proposals like reorganizing the functions of the Cabinet 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 prime ministers far outdistances the support available to them. Consequently, all aspects suffer, and many tasks are poorly executed or neglected.

This is not Sir Keir’s fault alone. He is the victim of past failures as well as the author of current mistakes. But those who hoped Sir Keir might get a grip on the core and prioritize governmental structures have been disappointed. Unfortunately, the primary casualty from this shortcoming is Sir Keir personally.