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Prime Minister Starmer traveled to north Wales this past Thursday to announce the development of a fresh nuclear energy facility. This is a major policy announcement with both local and national implications. Yet, the PM did not dedicate extensive time in Wales to advocating solutions for the UK's energy needs. Rather, he used the time attempting to draw a line under the Labour leadership briefing row, informing reporters that Downing Street had not undermined the health secretary's goals in recent days.

Therefore, Sir Keir’s day served as a microcosm of what his prime ministership has evolved into overall. Firstly, he wants his administration to be performing, and to be seen to be doing, important things. On the other hand, he is incapable to accomplish this due to the way he – and, partly, the country as a whole – now conducts politics and government.

Sir Keir is unable to transform the culture of politics single-handedly, but he is able to take action about his own role in it. The plain fact is that he could manage the government's core far better 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 getting his messages across more effectively.

Staffing Issues in Downing Street

Some of the problems in Downing Street are about individuals. The interpersonal relations of every Downing Street operation are difficult to discern accurately from the exterior. Yet it appears clear that Sir Keir does not make good personnel choices, or stick with them. Perhaps he is too busy. Possibly he lacks genuine interest. However, he must to up his game, avoid slow progress or incompletely.

• He dithered about giving the crucial role of top civil servant to Chris Wormald.
• He made a former official his top aide, then substituted her with Morgan McSweeney.
• He brought Darren Jones in from the finance ministry as his chief secretary.
• His media advisors have been frequently replaced.
• Advisors on politics and policy have entered and exited.
• It is a mess.

Structural Challenges at the Core of Government

All premiers spend too much time overseas and on foreign affairs, where Sir Keir should delegate more, and insufficient time conversing with MPs and listening to the public. 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 ambitious in politics, cross lines or become the story, as Mr McSweeney has recently.

The most significant problems, however, are systemic. It would be good to believe that Sir Keir reviewed the Institute for Government’s March 2024 report on overhauling the government's central operations. His failure to grip these issues last July or afterward suggests he did not. The often abject performance of the Labour administration indicates IfG proposals like reorganizing the roles of the central government office and No 10, and dividing the positions of top official and civil service head, are now urgent.

The political pre-eminence of prime ministers far outdistances the support available to them. Consequently, all aspects suffer, and many tasks are poorly executed or neglected.

This isn't Sir Keir’s sole responsibility. He stands as the victim of past failures along with the author of present ones. Yet individuals who expected Sir Keir would take control of the core and take the machinery of government seriously have been disappointed. Unfortunately, the biggest loser from this shortcoming is Sir Keir himself.