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Prime Minister Starmer traveled to north Wales this past Thursday to reveal the building of a fresh nuclear energy facility. This is a major policy announcement with implications at local and countrywide levels. Yet, the prime minister did not dedicate extensive time in Wales to promoting solutions for the UK's energy needs. Rather, he used the time trying to draw a line under the Labour leadership briefing row, informing reporters that Downing Street had not undermined the health secretary's goals in recent days.

Therefore, Sir Keir’s day served as a microcosm of what his prime ministership has evolved into more generally. Firstly, he wants his government to be doing, and to be seen to be doing, significant actions. On the other hand, he is incapable to accomplish this due to the way he – and, partly, the nation as a whole – now practices politics and government.

Sir Keir cannot transform the culture of politics single-handedly, but he can take action about his personal involvement in it. The simple truth is that he could run the government's core much more effectively than he does. Should he achieve this, he might find that the nation was in less dismay about his government than it currently is, and that he was communicating his points more effectively.

Staffing Issues in Downing Street

A number of the problems in Number 10 relate to individuals. The interpersonal relations of any No 10 regime are difficult to discern accurately from the exterior. Yet it appears clear that Sir Keir does not make sound staffing decisions, or maintain them. Perhaps he is too busy. Possibly he lacks genuine interest. But he needs to improve his performance, avoid slow progress or by halves.

• He dithered about giving the key job of top civil servant to a senior official.
• He appointed Sue Gray his top aide, then replaced her with Morgan McSweeney.
• He recruited a Treasury figure in from the finance ministry as his deputy.
• His media advisors have been frequently replaced.
• Political and policy advisers have entered and exited.
• It is a mess.

Structural Challenges at the Core of Government

All premiers devote excessive time overseas and on international matters, areas where Sir Keir ought to assign more tasks, and insufficient time talking to MPs and listening to the public. Prime ministers also spend too much time engaging with the press, which Sir Keir compounds by performing inadequately. Yet leaders cannot express surprise when their politically appointed staff, who are often party activists or ambitious in politics, overstep boundaries or become the focus, as the chief of staff has recently.

The most significant problems, though, are structural. It would be beneficial to think that Sir Keir reviewed the a think tank's March 2024 report on reforming the government's central operations. His failure to grip these issues in the summer or since implies he did not. The frequently dismal experience of the Labour administration indicates IfG proposals like restructuring the functions of the central government office and Downing Street, and separating the positions of cabinet secretary and head of the civil service, are currently critical.

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

This isn't Sir Keir’s fault alone. He stands as the casualty of previous shortcomings as well as the architect of current mistakes. But those who hoped Sir Keir might get a grip on the core and take the machinery of government seriously have been disappointed. Unfortunately, the primary casualty from this failure is Sir Keir himself.