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Sir Keir Starmer visited north Wales this past Thursday to reveal the development of a new nuclear power station. This represents a major policy announcement with both local and national implications. Yet, the PM did not devote extensive time in Wales to advocating solutions for the UK's power requirements. Rather, he used the time attempting to put an end to the briefing controversy within Labour's leadership, informing reporters that No 10 had not briefed against the health secretary's goals earlier this week.

As such, Sir Keir’s day acted as a small-scale example of what his premiership has evolved into more generally. Firstly, he wants his government to be performing, and to be seen to be doing, significant actions. Conversely, he is unable to accomplish this because of the way he – and, partly, the country as a whole – now conducts political and governmental affairs.

Sir Keir is unable to transform the culture of politics on his own, but he is able to take action about his personal involvement in it. The plain fact is that he could run the centre of government far better than he does. If he did this, he might find that the country was in less despair about his administration than it currently is, and that he was communicating his points more successfully.

Staffing Issues in Downing Street

Some of the issues in Downing Street are about personnel. 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. Maybe he is overly occupied. Possibly he lacks genuine interest. 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 a senior official.
• He appointed a former official his chief of staff, then substituted her with Morgan McSweeney.
• He brought a Treasury figure in from the Treasury as his deputy.
• His communications chiefs have been frequently replaced.
• Political and policy advisers have come and gone.
• The situation is chaotic.

Structural Challenges at the Heart of Government

All premiers spend too much time overseas and on foreign affairs, where Sir Keir should delegate more, and too little talking to parliamentarians and listening to the public. Prime ministers also allocate too much time doing media, which Sir Keir worsens by doing it poorly. Yet leaders cannot claim to be surprised when their political appointees, who tend to be party loyalists or politically ambitious, cross lines or become the story, as Mr McSweeney now has.

The biggest issues, however, are structural. It would be good to think that Sir Keir reviewed the Institute for Government’s spring 2024 report on overhauling the government's central operations. His inability to grip these issues in the summer or since suggests he did not. The frequently dismal experience of Labour’s time in office suggests IfG proposals like restructuring the functions of the Cabinet Office and No 10, and separating the positions of cabinet secretary and civil service head, are now urgent.

The political pre-eminence of prime ministers far outdistances the support available to them. Consequently, everything currently suffers, and many tasks are poorly executed or ignored.

This is not Sir Keir’s fault alone. He stands as the victim of previous shortcomings along with the author of current mistakes. But those who hoped 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 himself.