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Sir Keir Starmer visited Wales' northern region this past Thursday to announce the building of a fresh nuclear energy facility. This represents a major policy announcement with both local and national implications. Yet, the PM did not devote extensive time in Wales to advocating answers for the UK's power requirements. Rather, he used the time attempting to put an end to the Labour leadership briefing row, informing journalists that Downing Street had not undermined the health secretary’s ambitions earlier this week.

Therefore, Sir Keir’s day served as a small-scale example of what his premiership has evolved into more generally. On the one hand, he wants his government to be performing, and to be seen to be doing, important things. On the other hand, he is unable to accomplish this because of the manner he – and, partly, the country as a whole – now practices political and governmental affairs.

The Prime Minister cannot change the political culture 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 country was in less dismay about his government than it is, and that he was getting his messages across more successfully.

Personnel Problems in Downing Street

Some of the problems in Downing Street are about personnel. The interpersonal relations of any No 10 regime are hard to know accurately from the exterior. But it seems obvious that Sir Keir fails to make good personnel choices, 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 by halves.

• He hesitated about assigning the crucial role of cabinet secretary to a senior official.
• He appointed a former official his top aide, then substituted her with Morgan McSweeney.
• He brought Darren Jones in from the finance ministry as his chief secretary.
• His media advisors have been frequently replaced.
• Advisors on politics and policy have entered and exited.
• The situation is chaotic.

Structural Challenges at the Heart of Government

Every prime minister spend too much time overseas and on foreign affairs, where Sir Keir should delegate more, and insufficient time conversing with MPs and listening to the citizens. Premiers also allocate too much time doing media, which Sir Keir compounds by performing inadequately. Yet leaders cannot claim to be surprised when their politically appointed staff, who tend to be party loyalists or ambitious in politics, cross lines or become the story, as Mr McSweeney now has.

The biggest issues, however, are systemic. It would be beneficial to believe that Sir Keir read the a think tank's March 2024 study on reforming the government's central operations. His failure to address these matters last July or since implies he did not. The often abject experience of Labour’s time in office suggests recommendations like reorganizing the roles of the central government office and No 10, and dividing the jobs of cabinet secretary and civil service head, are currently critical.

The dominant political role of PMs greatly exceeds the support available to them. As a result, everything currently suffers, and many tasks are poorly executed or neglected.

This isn't Sir Keir’s fault alone. He stands as the victim of previous shortcomings along with the author of present ones. But those who hoped Sir Keir would take control of the core and take the machinery of government seriously have been disappointed. Sadly, the biggest loser from this shortcoming is Sir Keir himself.