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Prime Minister Starmer visited Wales' northern region on Thursday to declare the development of a fresh nuclear energy facility. This is a major policy announcement with both local and national implications. However, the PM did not dedicate much time in Wales to advocating solutions for the UK's power requirements. Instead, he used the time trying to draw a line under the briefing controversy within Labour's leadership, telling journalists that Downing Street had not briefed against the health secretary’s ambitions in recent days.

As such, Sir Keir’s day acted 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 unable to accomplish this due to the manner he – and, to an extent, the country as a whole – now conducts politics and government.

Sir Keir is unable to transform the political culture single-handedly, but he is able to do something about his own role in it. The simple truth is that he could run the centre of government much more effectively than he does. If he did this, he might find that the country was in less dismay about his administration than it is, and that he was communicating his points more effectively.

Personnel Problems in Downing Street

A number of the problems in Number 10 are about personnel. The personal dynamics 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. Maybe he is overly occupied. Perhaps he is not really interested. However, he must to up his game, avoid slow progress or incompletely.

• He hesitated about giving the key job of top civil servant to Chris Wormald.
• He appointed a former official his top aide, then replaced her with a political strategist.
• He brought a Treasury figure in from the finance ministry as his deputy.
• His communications chiefs have been frequently replaced.
• Advisors on politics and policy have come and gone.
• It is a mess.

Systemic Issues at the Core of Government

All premiers devote excessive time abroad and on foreign affairs, where Sir Keir should delegate more, and insufficient time talking to MPs and hearing the public. Premiers also allocate too much time doing media, which Sir Keir worsens by doing it poorly. Yet leaders cannot express surprise when their politically appointed staff, who are often party loyalists or ambitious in politics, overstep boundaries or become the focus, as the chief of staff now has.

The biggest issues, though, are systemic. It would be good to think that Sir Keir reviewed the Institute for Government’s March 2024 study on overhauling the centre of government. His failure to address these matters in the summer or since implies he did not. The often abject performance of the Labour administration indicates IfG proposals like restructuring the roles of the Cabinet Office and No 10, and separating the jobs of top official and civil service head, are now urgent.

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

This is not Sir Keir’s sole responsibility. He is the casualty of past failures as well as the author of present ones. But those who hoped Sir Keir would take control of the core and prioritize governmental structures have been disappointed. Unfortunately, the primary casualty from this shortcoming is Sir Keir personally.