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Sir Keir Starmer visited north Wales this past Thursday to reveal the construction of a new nuclear power station. This represents a significant policy event with both local and national implications. Yet, the prime minister did not devote much time in Wales to advocating solutions for the UK's energy needs. Rather, he spent it trying to put an end to the Labour leadership briefing row, informing journalists that No 10 had not briefed against the health secretary’s ambitions earlier this week.

Therefore, Sir Keir’s day served as a microcosm of what his prime ministership has evolved into overall. Firstly, he wants his government to be doing, and to be perceived as performing, significant actions. On the other hand, he is unable to accomplish this due to the manner he – and, partly, the country as a whole – now practices politics and government.

The Prime Minister cannot change the culture of politics single-handedly, but he is able to do something about his own role in it. The simple truth is that he could manage the centre of government much more effectively than he does. If he did this, he could discover that the country was in less dismay about his administration than it currently is, and that he was getting his messages across more successfully.

Staffing Issues in No 10

A number of the issues in Number 10 are about individuals. The personal dynamics of every Downing Street operation are hard to know well from outside. Yet it appears clear that Sir Keir does not make good personnel choices, or stick with them. Maybe he is overly occupied. Perhaps he is not really interested. But he needs to up his game, not do things slowly or incompletely.

• He dithered about assigning the key job of top civil servant to a senior official.
• He appointed Sue Gray his chief of staff, then substituted her with a political strategist.
• He recruited a Treasury figure in from the finance ministry as his deputy.
• His media advisors have chopped and changed.
• Advisors on politics and policy have entered and exited.
• It is a mess.

Systemic Issues at the Heart of the Administration

All premiers spend too much time abroad and on international matters, where Sir Keir should delegate more, and insufficient time conversing with parliamentarians and hearing the public. Premiers also allocate too much time doing media, which Sir Keir worsens by doing it poorly. But premiers 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, though, are systemic. It would be beneficial to think that Sir Keir read the a think tank's spring 2024 report on overhauling the centre of government. His failure to grip these issues last July or since suggests he did not. The frequently dismal performance of the Labour administration suggests IfG proposals like reorganizing the roles of the Cabinet Office and Downing Street, and dividing the positions of cabinet secretary and civil service head, are currently critical.

The dominant political role of PMs greatly exceeds the support available to them. Consequently, all aspects suffer, and much is done badly or neglected.

This is not Sir Keir’s fault alone. He is the casualty of previous shortcomings along with the architect of present ones. But those who hoped 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.