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Prime Minister Starmer visited Wales' northern region on Thursday to announce the development of a new nuclear power station. This represents a major policy announcement with implications at local and countrywide levels. However, the prime minister did not dedicate much time in Wales to promoting solutions for the UK's energy needs. Instead, he used the time attempting to draw a line under the briefing controversy within Labour's leadership, informing journalists that No 10 had not undermined the health secretary's goals earlier this week.

As such, Sir Keir’s day served as a microcosm of what his premiership has evolved into more generally. Firstly, he desires his administration to be performing, and to be perceived as performing, important things. Conversely, he is incapable to accomplish this due to the way he – and, partly, the nation as a whole – now practices political and governmental affairs.

Sir Keir is unable to change the political culture on his own, but he can do something about his own role in it. The simple truth is that he could manage the centre of government far better than he does. Should he achieve this, he might find that the nation was in less despair about his administration than it currently is, and that he was getting his messages across more effectively.

Staffing Issues in No 10

A number of the issues in Number 10 relate to individuals. The interpersonal relations of any No 10 regime are difficult to discern well from outside. But it seems obvious that Sir Keir fails to make sound staffing decisions, or maintain them. Perhaps he is too busy. Perhaps he is not really interested. But he needs to improve his performance, not do things slowly or incompletely.

• He hesitated about giving the crucial role of cabinet secretary to Chris Wormald.
• He made Sue Gray his top aide, then replaced her with Morgan McSweeney.
• He brought a Treasury figure in from the Treasury as his chief secretary.
• His media advisors have been frequently replaced.
• Political and policy advisers have come and gone.
• The situation is chaotic.

Structural Challenges at the Core of the Administration

Every prime minister spend too much time abroad and on foreign affairs, areas where Sir Keir ought to assign more tasks, and too little conversing with MPs and hearing the citizens. Premiers also spend too much time engaging with the press, which Sir Keir worsens by performing inadequately. Yet leaders cannot express surprise when their political appointees, who are often party activists or ambitious in politics, overstep boundaries or become the story, as Mr McSweeney has recently.

The biggest issues, however, are structural. It would be good to think that Sir Keir reviewed the a think tank's March 2024 study on overhauling the centre of government. His failure to address these matters last July or afterward suggests he did not. The often abject performance of Labour’s time in office suggests IfG proposals like restructuring the functions of the Cabinet Office and Downing Street, and dividing the positions of cabinet secretary and head of the civil service, are now urgent.

The political pre-eminence of prime ministers far outdistances the assistance provided to them. As a result, everything currently suffers, and much is done badly or ignored.

This is not Sir Keir’s fault alone. He is the victim of previous shortcomings along with the author of current mistakes. Yet individuals who expected Sir Keir would take control of the core and take the machinery of government seriously have been let down. Unfortunately, the primary casualty from this failure is Sir Keir personally.