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Prime Minister Starmer traveled to north Wales on Thursday to announce the building of a fresh nuclear energy facility. This represents a significant policy event with both local and national implications. Yet, the PM did not dedicate much time in Wales to promoting answers for the UK's energy needs. Instead, he used the time trying to put an end to the Labour leadership briefing row, telling journalists that No 10 had not undermined the health secretary’s ambitions in recent days.

As such, Sir Keir’s day acted as a microcosm of what his prime ministership has now become overall. Firstly, he desires his administration to be performing, and to be perceived as performing, significant actions. Conversely, he is incapable to accomplish this due to the manner he – and, partly, the country more generally – now conducts politics and government.

Sir Keir cannot change the political culture single-handedly, but he can do something about his own role in it. The simple truth is that he could run the government's core far better than he does. If he did this, he might find that the country was in less despair about his government than it currently is, and that he was getting his messages across more effectively.

Personnel Problems in No 10

A number of the problems 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 dithered about assigning the key job of top civil servant to Chris Wormald.
• He made a former official his top aide, then replaced her with Morgan McSweeney.
• He recruited Darren Jones in from the finance ministry as his deputy.
• His communications chiefs have been frequently replaced.
• Political and policy advisers have come and gone.
• It is a mess.

Systemic Issues at the Heart of the Administration

All premiers devote excessive time overseas and on international matters, where Sir Keir should delegate more, and insufficient time conversing with MPs and hearing the citizens. Premiers also spend too much time engaging with the press, 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 politically ambitious, cross lines or become the focus, as the chief of staff has recently.

The most significant problems, however, are systemic. It would be good to think that Sir Keir reviewed the Institute for Government’s March 2024 study on reforming the centre of government. His inability to grip these issues in the summer or since implies he did not. The often abject performance of the Labour administration suggests recommendations like reorganizing the roles of the Cabinet Office and Downing Street, and separating the positions of top official and civil service head, are currently critical.

The political pre-eminence of PMs greatly exceeds the support available to them. As a result, everything currently suffers, and many tasks are poorly executed or ignored.

This isn't Sir Keir’s sole responsibility. He stands as the victim of previous shortcomings as well as the architect of current mistakes. Yet individuals who expected Sir Keir might get a grip on the centre and prioritize governmental structures have been disappointed. Sadly, the biggest loser from this failure is Sir Keir personally.