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Sir Keir Starmer visited north Wales this past Thursday to reveal the building of a fresh nuclear energy facility. This represents a major policy announcement with both local and national implications. However, the prime minister did not devote much time in Wales to advocating solutions for the UK's energy needs. Instead, he spent it attempting to draw a line under the Labour leadership briefing row, telling reporters that No 10 had not undermined the health secretary’s ambitions earlier this week.

As such, Sir Keir’s day served as a small-scale example of what his premiership has now become overall. Firstly, he desires his government to be doing, and to be seen to be doing, important things. Conversely, he is unable to accomplish this because of the way he – and, to an extent, the nation more generally – now practices political and governmental affairs.

The Prime Minister cannot change the political culture single-handedly, but he can take action about his own role in it. The simple truth is that he could manage the centre of government far better than he currently does. Should he achieve this, he might find that the country was in less despair about his government than it currently is, and that he was communicating his points more successfully.

Staffing Issues in No 10

Some of the issues in Downing Street are about personnel. The personal dynamics of every Downing Street operation are difficult to discern accurately from the exterior. But it seems obvious that Sir Keir does not make sound staffing decisions, or stick with them. Perhaps he is too busy. Perhaps he is not really interested. However, he must to improve his performance, avoid slow progress or incompletely.

• He dithered about giving the crucial role of top civil servant to a senior official.
• He appointed Sue Gray his top aide, then replaced her with Morgan McSweeney.
• He recruited Darren Jones in from the finance ministry as his chief secretary.
• His media advisors have chopped and changed.
• Advisors on politics and policy have entered and exited.
• It is a mess.

Systemic Issues at the Heart of Government

Every prime minister spend too much time abroad and on international matters, where Sir Keir should delegate more, and insufficient time talking to MPs and hearing the public. Prime ministers also allocate too much time engaging with the press, which Sir Keir compounds by doing it poorly. But premiers cannot claim to be surprised when their political appointees, who are often party activists or politically ambitious, cross lines or become the focus, as Mr McSweeney has recently.

The most significant problems, however, are systemic. It would be good to think that Sir Keir reviewed the Institute for Government’s spring 2024 study on reforming the centre of government. His inability to grip these issues in the summer or afterward implies he did not. The often abject performance of Labour’s time in office indicates recommendations like reorganizing the functions of the central government office and Downing Street, and separating the positions of top official and head of the civil service, are now urgent.

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

This isn't Sir Keir’s sole responsibility. He stands as the victim of past failures as well as the architect 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. Sadly, the primary casualty from this shortcoming is Sir Keir personally.