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Prime Minister Starmer visited Wales' northern region on Thursday to declare the development of a fresh nuclear energy facility. This is a significant policy event with both local and national implications. However, the PM did not dedicate much time in Wales to advocating solutions for the UK's power requirements. Instead, he used the time attempting to put an end to the Labour leadership briefing row, telling journalists that No 10 had not briefed against the health secretary’s ambitions in recent days.

Therefore, Sir Keir’s day served as a microcosm of what his premiership has now become overall. Firstly, he wants his administration to be performing, and to be perceived as performing, important things. On the other hand, he is incapable to accomplish this because of the manner he – and, partly, the nation as a whole – now conducts politics and government.

Sir Keir is unable to transform the culture of politics on his own, but he can take action about his own role in it. The simple truth is that he could manage the centre of government far better than he currently does. Should he achieve this, he might find that the country was in less despair about his government than it is, and that he was communicating his points more effectively.

Staffing Issues in No 10

Some of the issues in Number 10 are about personnel. The interpersonal relations of any No 10 regime are difficult to discern well from outside. Yet it appears clear that Sir Keir fails to make sound staffing decisions, or maintain them. Maybe he is overly occupied. Perhaps he is not really interested. But he needs to improve his performance, avoid slow progress or by halves.

• He dithered 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.
• Political and policy advisers have come and gone.
• The situation is chaotic.

Structural Challenges at the Heart of the Administration

All premiers spend too much time overseas and on international matters, areas where Sir Keir ought to assign more tasks, and insufficient time talking to MPs and hearing the citizens. Premiers also allocate too much time engaging with the press, which Sir Keir compounds by performing inadequately. But premiers cannot claim to be surprised when their political appointees, who are often party loyalists or ambitious in politics, cross lines or become the story, as the chief of staff has recently.

The most significant problems, though, are systemic. It would be good to believe that Sir Keir reviewed the Institute for Government’s spring 2024 report on reforming the centre of government. His inability to grip these issues last July or since suggests he did not. The often abject performance of Labour’s time in office suggests recommendations like reorganizing the roles of the central government office and Downing Street, and separating the jobs of top official and civil service head, are now urgent.

The political pre-eminence of prime ministers far outdistances the assistance provided to them. Consequently, everything currently suffers, and many tasks are poorly executed or ignored.

This is not Sir Keir’s fault alone. He stands as the casualty of past failures along with the architect of present ones. Yet individuals who expected Sir Keir would take control of the core and prioritize governmental structures have been let down. Unfortunately, the primary casualty from this failure is Sir Keir personally.