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Prime Minister Starmer visited north Wales this past Thursday to announce the construction of a fresh nuclear energy facility. This represents a significant policy event with both local and national implications. Yet, the PM did not devote extensive time in Wales to advocating answers for the UK's energy needs. Instead, he spent it trying to draw a line under the Labour leadership briefing row, telling journalists that Downing Street had not undermined the health secretary’s ambitions in recent days.

Therefore, Sir Keir’s day acted as a microcosm of what his prime ministership has now become more generally. On the one hand, he wants his administration to be performing, and to be perceived as performing, significant actions. On the other hand, he is unable to achieve this because of the way he – and, partly, the country more generally – now conducts political and governmental affairs.

The Prime Minister is unable to 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 government's core much more effectively than he currently does. Should he achieve this, he could discover that the nation was in less despair about his administration than it currently is, and that he was communicating his points more successfully.

Personnel Problems in No 10

A number of the problems in Downing Street relate to individuals. The interpersonal relations of every Downing Street operation are hard to know accurately from the exterior. Yet it appears clear that Sir Keir does not make sound staffing decisions, or stick with them. Perhaps he is too busy. Possibly he lacks genuine interest. However, he must to improve his performance, not do things slowly or incompletely.

• He hesitated about giving the key job of cabinet secretary to Chris Wormald.
• He appointed a former official his top aide, then replaced her with a political strategist.
• He recruited Darren Jones in from the finance ministry as his chief secretary.
• His communications chiefs have chopped and changed.
• Political and policy advisers have entered and exited.
• The situation is chaotic.

Structural Challenges at the Core of the Administration

All premiers devote excessive time overseas and on foreign affairs, areas where Sir Keir ought to assign more tasks, and too little conversing with MPs and listening to the citizens. Prime ministers also allocate too much time engaging with the press, which Sir Keir worsens by doing it poorly. Yet leaders cannot express surprise when their politically appointed staff, who tend to be party loyalists or politically ambitious, overstep boundaries 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 a think tank's spring 2024 report on overhauling the government's central operations. His failure to grip these issues in the summer or since suggests he did not. The frequently dismal experience of the Labour administration suggests IfG proposals like restructuring the functions of the Cabinet Office and No 10, and dividing the jobs of top official and head of the civil service, are now urgent.

The political pre-eminence of prime ministers far outdistances the support available to them. As a result, all aspects suffer, and much is done badly or ignored.

This is not Sir Keir’s fault alone. He stands as the casualty of past failures along with the author of present ones. But those who hoped Sir Keir would take control of the centre and take the machinery of government seriously have been disappointed. Sadly, the biggest loser from this failure is Sir Keir himself.