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Sir Keir Starmer visited Wales' northern region on Thursday to declare the development of a fresh nuclear energy facility. This represents a significant policy event with implications at local and countrywide levels. Yet, the PM did not devote extensive time in Wales to promoting solutions for the UK's power requirements. Rather, he spent it trying to draw a line under the Labour leadership briefing row, telling journalists that Downing Street had not briefed against the health secretary’s ambitions earlier this week.

Therefore, Sir Keir’s day served as a microcosm of what his premiership has evolved into more generally. On the one hand, he desires his administration to be doing, and to be perceived as performing, significant actions. Conversely, he is incapable to achieve this because of the manner he – and, to an extent, the nation as a whole – now practices politics and government.

Sir Keir is unable to transform the political culture single-handedly, but he can do something about his personal involvement in it. The plain fact is that he could manage the government's core much more effectively than he does. Should he achieve this, he could discover that the country was in less dismay about his government than it currently is, and that he was communicating his points more successfully.

Staffing Issues in No 10

A number of the problems in Number 10 relate to individuals. The interpersonal relations of every Downing Street operation are difficult to discern well from outside. 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 by halves.

• He dithered about giving the crucial role of top civil servant to a senior official.
• He made Sue Gray his chief of staff, then replaced her with a political strategist.
• He recruited Darren Jones in from the finance ministry as his chief secretary.
• His media advisors have been frequently replaced.
• Political and policy advisers have entered and exited.
• It is a mess.

Systemic Issues at the Heart of the Administration

Every prime minister spend too much time overseas and on foreign affairs, areas where Sir Keir ought to assign more tasks, and insufficient time conversing with parliamentarians and hearing the citizens. Prime ministers also spend too much time doing media, 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, cross lines or become the story, as the chief of staff has recently.

The most significant problems, though, are systemic. It would be good to think that Sir Keir reviewed the Institute for Government’s March 2024 report on reforming the government's central operations. 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 suggests recommendations like restructuring the functions of the Cabinet Office and No 10, and dividing the jobs of top official and head of the civil service, are now urgent.

The dominant political role of PMs far outdistances the assistance provided to them. As a result, everything currently suffers, and much is done badly or neglected.

This is not Sir Keir’s fault alone. He is the casualty of past failures along with 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 let down. Unfortunately, the primary casualty from this failure is Sir Keir personally.