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Prime Minister Starmer visited north Wales this past Thursday to reveal the development of a new nuclear power station. This is a significant policy event with both local and national implications. Yet, the PM did not devote extensive time in Wales to promoting solutions for the UK's power requirements. Instead, he used the time trying to put an end to the briefing controversy within Labour's leadership, telling reporters that No 10 had not undermined the health secretary’s ambitions in recent days.

As such, Sir Keir’s day served as a small-scale example of what his prime ministership has evolved into more generally. On the one hand, he desires his administration to be doing, and to be perceived as performing, important things. Conversely, he is incapable to accomplish this due to the way he – and, to an extent, the nation as a whole – now conducts political and governmental affairs.

Sir Keir cannot change the political culture on his own, but he is able to take action about his personal involvement in it. The simple truth is that he could manage the government's core much more effectively than he does. Should he achieve this, he might find that the country was in less dismay about his government than it is, and that he was communicating his points more effectively.

Staffing Issues in No 10

A number of the issues in Number 10 relate to individuals. The personal dynamics of any No 10 regime are difficult to discern accurately from the exterior. Yet it appears clear that Sir Keir does not make good personnel choices, or maintain them. Perhaps he is too busy. Perhaps he is not really interested. But he needs to improve his performance, not do things slowly or by halves.

• He hesitated about giving the crucial role of cabinet secretary to Chris Wormald.
• He appointed Sue Gray his chief of staff, then replaced her with Morgan McSweeney.
• He recruited a Treasury figure in from the Treasury as his chief secretary.
• His media advisors have been frequently replaced.
• Advisors on politics and policy have entered and exited.
• The situation is chaotic.

Structural Challenges at the Core of the Administration

All premiers spend too much time overseas and on foreign affairs, where Sir Keir should delegate more, and insufficient time conversing with parliamentarians and hearing the public. Premiers also spend too much time engaging with the press, which Sir Keir worsens by performing inadequately. Yet leaders cannot express surprise when their political appointees, who tend to be party loyalists or ambitious in politics, overstep boundaries or become the story, as the chief of staff has recently.

The most significant problems, though, are structural. It would be beneficial to think that Sir Keir read the a think tank's spring 2024 study on overhauling the government's central operations. His failure to address these matters last July or afterward suggests he did not. The frequently dismal experience of the Labour administration suggests recommendations like restructuring the functions of the central government office and No 10, and dividing the jobs of cabinet secretary and civil service head, are currently critical.

The dominant political role of PMs greatly exceeds the assistance provided to them. Consequently, everything currently suffers, and much is done badly or ignored.

This is not Sir Keir’s sole responsibility. He is the casualty of previous shortcomings as well as the architect of present ones. Yet individuals who expected Sir Keir might get a grip on the core and take the machinery of government seriously have been disappointed. Unfortunately, the biggest loser from this failure is Sir Keir himself.