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Sir Keir Starmer visited Wales' northern region this past Thursday to declare the building of a fresh nuclear energy facility. This represents a significant policy event with both local and national implications. However, the prime minister did not devote much time in Wales to promoting solutions for the UK's energy needs. Instead, he used the time trying to put an end to the briefing controversy within Labour's leadership, telling journalists that No 10 had not briefed against the health secretary's goals in recent days.

As such, Sir Keir’s day served as a microcosm of what his premiership has evolved into overall. Firstly, he wants his government to be performing, and to be perceived as performing, significant actions. On the other hand, he is incapable to accomplish this because of the way he – and, to an extent, the country as a whole – now conducts politics and government.

The Prime Minister cannot change the culture of politics single-handedly, but he is able to do something about his personal involvement in it. The simple truth is that he could run the centre of government much more effectively than he does. Should he achieve this, he could discover that the nation was in less dismay about his government than it currently is, and that he was getting his messages across more effectively.

Staffing Issues in Downing Street

Some of the problems in Number 10 relate to personnel. The personal dynamics of any No 10 regime are difficult to discern well from outside. But it seems obvious that Sir Keir does not make sound staffing decisions, or maintain them. Maybe he is overly occupied. Perhaps he is not really interested. However, he must to improve his performance, avoid slow progress or by halves.

• He hesitated about assigning the crucial role of cabinet secretary to a senior official.
• He made Sue Gray his chief of staff, then replaced her with Morgan McSweeney.
• He recruited a Treasury figure in from the Treasury as his deputy.
• His media advisors have been frequently replaced.
• Advisors on politics and policy have come and gone.
• The situation is chaotic.

Structural Challenges at the Core of the Administration

Every prime minister devote excessive time overseas and on foreign affairs, areas where Sir Keir ought to assign more tasks, and insufficient time talking to parliamentarians and hearing the citizens. Premiers also allocate too much time engaging with the press, which Sir Keir compounds by performing inadequately. Yet leaders cannot express surprise when their political appointees, who tend to be party activists or politically ambitious, overstep boundaries or become the story, as Mr McSweeney has recently.

The most significant problems, though, are systemic. It would be beneficial to think that Sir Keir read the Institute for Government’s March 2024 study on reforming the government's central operations. His inability to address these matters in the summer or afterward implies he did not. The frequently dismal experience of Labour’s time in office suggests recommendations like reorganizing the roles of the Cabinet Office and No 10, and separating the positions of cabinet secretary and head of the civil service, are currently critical.

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

This isn't Sir Keir’s fault alone. He is the casualty of previous shortcomings as well as the author of current mistakes. Yet individuals who expected Sir Keir might get a grip on the centre and take the machinery of government seriously have been let down. Sadly, the primary casualty from this shortcoming is Sir Keir personally.