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Sir Keir Starmer traveled to north Wales this past Thursday to announce the building of a fresh nuclear energy facility. This is a major policy announcement with both local and national implications. Yet, the prime minister did not devote extensive time in Wales to advocating solutions for the UK's power requirements. Instead, he spent it attempting to draw a line under the briefing controversy within Labour's leadership, informing journalists that No 10 had not briefed against the health secretary's goals earlier this week.

Therefore, Sir Keir’s day served as a microcosm of what his prime ministership has now become overall. Firstly, he desires his administration to be performing, and to be perceived as performing, significant actions. On the other hand, he is unable to achieve this due to the way he – and, to an extent, the country as a whole – now practices politics and government.

Sir Keir cannot transform the political culture on his own, 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 far better than he does. If he did this, he might find that the nation was in less dismay about his administration than it currently is, and that he was getting his messages across more effectively.

Personnel Problems in No 10

Some of the issues in Number 10 are about personnel. The personal dynamics of every Downing Street operation are hard to know accurately from the exterior. But it seems obvious that Sir Keir fails to make sound staffing decisions, or maintain them. Maybe he is overly occupied. Possibly he lacks genuine interest. However, he must to up his game, avoid slow progress or by halves.

• He hesitated about giving the crucial role of top civil servant to a senior official.
• He made a former official his top aide, then substituted her with a political strategist.
• He recruited Darren Jones in from the finance ministry as his chief secretary.
• His media advisors have been frequently replaced.
• Political and policy advisers have come and gone.
• The situation is chaotic.

Structural Challenges at the Core of the Administration

Every prime minister devote excessive time abroad and on foreign affairs, where Sir Keir should delegate more, and insufficient time talking to parliamentarians and hearing the public. Prime ministers also spend too much time doing media, which Sir Keir compounds by doing it poorly. But premiers cannot claim to be surprised when their political appointees, who tend to be party activists or ambitious in politics, cross lines or become the story, as the chief of staff has recently.

The biggest issues, however, are structural. It would be beneficial to think that Sir Keir read the Institute for Government’s March 2024 report on overhauling the government's central operations. His inability to address these matters in the summer or since suggests he did not. The frequently dismal performance of the Labour administration indicates recommendations like restructuring the functions of the Cabinet Office and No 10, and separating the jobs of cabinet secretary and civil service head, are now urgent.

The dominant political role of prime ministers greatly exceeds the support available to them. Consequently, everything currently suffers, and much is done badly or ignored.

This isn't Sir Keir’s sole responsibility. He stands as the victim of previous shortcomings as well as the author of current mistakes. Yet individuals who expected Sir Keir would take control of the centre and take the machinery of government seriously have been disappointed. Unfortunately, the biggest loser from this failure is Sir Keir personally.