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Sir Keir Starmer traveled to north Wales on Thursday to reveal the development of a new nuclear power station. This is a significant policy event with implications at local and countrywide levels. Yet, the PM did not devote much time in Wales to promoting answers for the UK's energy needs. Rather, he spent it trying to put an end to the briefing controversy within Labour's leadership, telling reporters that No 10 had not briefed against the health secretary’s ambitions earlier this week.

As such, Sir Keir’s day acted as a small-scale example of what his prime ministership has evolved into overall. Firstly, he desires his government to be performing, and to be perceived as performing, important things. On the other hand, he is incapable to achieve this because of the way he – and, to an extent, the nation more generally – now practices politics and government.

Sir Keir is unable to change 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 centre of government 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 is, and that he was communicating his points more effectively.

Staffing Issues in Downing Street

Some of the problems in Downing Street are about individuals. The interpersonal relations of any No 10 regime are difficult to discern accurately from the exterior. But it seems obvious that Sir Keir does not make sound staffing decisions, or maintain them. Perhaps he is too busy. Possibly he lacks genuine interest. However, he must to up his game, avoid slow progress or by halves.

• He hesitated about giving the crucial role of top civil servant to a senior official.
• He made a former official his chief of staff, then substituted her with Morgan McSweeney.
• He recruited a Treasury figure in from the finance ministry as his chief secretary.
• His media advisors have chopped and changed.
• 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 overseas and on international matters, where Sir Keir should delegate more, and too little talking to MPs and hearing the public. Premiers also allocate too much time doing media, which Sir Keir compounds by doing it poorly. Yet leaders cannot express surprise when their political appointees, who tend to be party loyalists or ambitious in politics, cross lines or become the focus, as the chief of staff has recently.

The biggest issues, however, are structural. It would be good to think that Sir Keir read the Institute for Government’s March 2024 report on overhauling the government's central operations. His inability to grip these issues last July or since suggests he did not. The frequently dismal performance of Labour’s time in office indicates IfG proposals like reorganizing the functions of the Cabinet Office and Downing Street, and dividing the positions of cabinet secretary and civil service head, are now urgent.

The dominant political role of prime ministers far outdistances the assistance provided to them. Consequently, everything currently suffers, and many tasks are poorly executed or ignored.

This isn't Sir Keir’s fault alone. He stands as the casualty of previous shortcomings as well as the author of present ones. Yet individuals who expected Sir Keir would take control of the core and take the machinery of government seriously have been disappointed. Sadly, the biggest loser from this failure is Sir Keir personally.