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Sir Keir Starmer visited north Wales this past Thursday to declare the construction of a fresh nuclear energy facility. 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 solutions for the UK's energy needs. Instead, he spent it attempting to draw a line under the briefing controversy within Labour's leadership, telling reporters that Downing Street had not briefed against the health secretary's goals in recent days.

Therefore, Sir Keir’s day acted as a small-scale example of what his premiership has evolved into overall. On the one hand, he desires his administration to be performing, and to be seen to be doing, significant actions. On the other hand, he is incapable to accomplish this due to the way he – and, to an extent, the nation more generally – now conducts politics and government.

Sir Keir cannot change the culture of politics on his own, but he can do something about his own role in it. The plain fact is that he could manage the centre of government much more effectively than he currently does. If he did this, he might find that the country was in less despair about his administration than it is, and that he was getting his messages across more effectively.

Staffing Issues in Downing Street

Some of the problems in Number 10 are about individuals. The interpersonal relations of any No 10 regime are difficult to discern accurately from the exterior. Yet it appears clear that Sir Keir does not make sound staffing decisions, or stick with them. Maybe he is overly occupied. Possibly he lacks genuine interest. However, he must to improve his performance, avoid slow progress or by halves.

• He hesitated about assigning the key job of top civil servant to a senior official.
• He appointed a former official his chief of staff, then replaced her with Morgan McSweeney.
• He brought Darren Jones in from the finance ministry as his deputy.
• His communications chiefs have chopped and changed.
• Advisors on politics and policy have come and gone.
• The situation is chaotic.

Structural Challenges at the Core of the Administration

All premiers devote excessive time abroad and on international matters, areas where Sir Keir ought to assign more tasks, and insufficient time talking to parliamentarians and hearing the public. Prime ministers also allocate too much time doing media, which Sir Keir compounds by doing it poorly. Yet leaders cannot express surprise when their politically appointed staff, who are often party activists or ambitious in politics, overstep boundaries or become the story, as Mr McSweeney now has.

The most significant problems, however, are structural. It would be good to believe that Sir Keir reviewed the a think tank's March 2024 study on reforming the centre of government. His inability to grip these issues last July or afterward implies he did not. The often abject performance of the Labour administration suggests 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 currently critical.

The dominant political role of prime ministers greatly exceeds the assistance provided to them. As a result, everything currently suffers, and many tasks are poorly executed or ignored.

This is not Sir Keir’s sole responsibility. He is the victim of previous shortcomings as well as the architect of current mistakes. But those who hoped Sir Keir would take control of the centre and prioritize governmental structures have been let down. Sadly, the biggest loser from this failure is Sir Keir personally.