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Prime Minister Starmer traveled to Wales' northern region on Thursday to declare the construction 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 devote extensive time in Wales to advocating answers for the UK's energy needs. Rather, he spent it trying 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 in recent days.

Therefore, Sir Keir’s day acted as a microcosm of what his prime ministership has evolved into more generally. On the one hand, he wants his government to be doing, and to be perceived as performing, important things. Conversely, he is incapable to achieve this because of the manner he – and, to an extent, the nation as a whole – now conducts politics and government.

The Prime Minister cannot transform the culture of politics on his own, but he can do something about his personal involvement in it. The plain fact is that he could manage the centre of government much more effectively 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 successfully.

Staffing Issues in No 10

A number of the problems in Number 10 relate to personnel. The personal dynamics of every Downing Street operation are difficult to discern accurately from the exterior. But it seems obvious that Sir Keir fails to make sound staffing decisions, or maintain them. Maybe he is overly occupied. Perhaps he is not really interested. But he needs to up his game, not do things slowly or incompletely.

• He dithered about assigning the crucial role of cabinet secretary to a senior official.
• He made Sue Gray his chief of staff, then replaced her with Morgan McSweeney.
• He recruited a Treasury figure in from the Treasury as his deputy.
• His media advisors have been frequently replaced.
• Advisors on politics and policy have entered and exited.
• The situation is chaotic.

Systemic Issues 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 parliamentarians and listening to the citizens. Prime ministers also allocate 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 politically ambitious, overstep boundaries or become the story, as Mr McSweeney now has.

The most significant problems, however, are structural. It would be beneficial to believe that Sir Keir read the a think tank's spring 2024 study on reforming the centre of government. His failure to address these matters in the summer or since suggests he did not. The often abject experience of Labour’s time in office indicates IfG proposals like restructuring 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 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 is the casualty of previous shortcomings along with the author of current mistakes. Yet individuals who expected Sir Keir might get a grip on the centre and prioritize governmental structures have been disappointed. Unfortunately, the primary casualty from this shortcoming is Sir Keir personally.