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Sir Keir Starmer visited north Wales this past Thursday to declare the construction of a fresh nuclear energy facility. This is a major policy announcement with implications at local and countrywide levels. However, the PM did not dedicate extensive time in Wales to advocating answers for the UK's energy needs. Rather, he spent it trying to put an end to the briefing controversy within Labour's leadership, informing journalists that No 10 had not briefed against the health secretary's goals in recent days.

Therefore, Sir Keir’s day served as a small-scale example of what his prime ministership has now become more generally. 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 way he – and, partly, the country more generally – now practices politics and government.

The Prime Minister is unable to transform the culture of politics on his own, but he can take action about his personal involvement in it. The simple truth is that he could manage the government's core far better than he currently does. Should he achieve this, he could discover that the country was in less despair about his administration than it currently is, and that he was getting his messages across more successfully.

Staffing Issues in No 10

A number of the problems in Downing Street relate to personnel. The interpersonal relations of any No 10 regime are hard to know well from outside. Yet it appears clear that Sir Keir does not make sound staffing decisions, or maintain them. Maybe he is overly occupied. Possibly he lacks genuine interest. However, he must to improve his performance, not do things slowly or by halves.

• He hesitated about giving the key job of top civil servant to Chris Wormald.
• He made Sue Gray his chief of staff, then substituted her with Morgan McSweeney.
• He recruited Darren Jones in from the Treasury as his deputy.
• His communications chiefs have chopped and changed.
• Political and policy advisers have entered and exited.
• It is a mess.

Systemic Issues at the Core of Government

Every prime minister devote excessive time overseas and on international matters, where Sir Keir should delegate more, and too little talking to MPs and hearing the public. Premiers also allocate too much time doing media, which Sir Keir worsens by performing inadequately. Yet leaders cannot express surprise when their politically appointed staff, who are often party activists or ambitious in politics, cross lines or become the story, as Mr McSweeney now has.

The biggest issues, however, are structural. It would be beneficial to believe that Sir Keir reviewed the a think tank's March 2024 report on overhauling the centre of government. His inability to address these matters in the summer or afterward implies he did not. The often abject experience of the Labour administration indicates recommendations like restructuring the functions of the Cabinet Office and No 10, and dividing the positions of top official and head of the civil service, are currently critical.

The political pre-eminence of PMs greatly exceeds the assistance provided to them. Consequently, all aspects suffer, and many tasks are poorly executed 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. Yet individuals who expected Sir Keir would take control of the core and take the machinery of government seriously have been disappointed. Unfortunately, the primary casualty from this shortcoming is Sir Keir personally.