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Prime Minister Starmer visited north Wales this past Thursday to announce the construction of a fresh nuclear energy facility. This is a major policy announcement with both local and national implications. Yet, the PM did not devote much 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 briefed against the health secretary's goals in recent days.

As such, Sir Keir’s day acted as a small-scale example of what his prime ministership has now become overall. On the one hand, he desires his government to be doing, and to be seen to be doing, significant actions. On the other hand, he is unable to achieve this due to the manner he – and, partly, the country as a whole – now conducts political and governmental affairs.

Sir Keir is unable to change the political culture on his own, but he is able to take action about his own role in it. The plain fact is that he could run the centre of government much more effectively than he does. If he did this, he might find that the nation was in less dismay about his administration than it is, and that he was getting his messages across more successfully.

Staffing Issues in Downing Street

A number of the issues in Downing Street relate to personnel. The personal dynamics of every Downing Street operation are hard to know accurately from the exterior. But it seems obvious that Sir Keir does not make good personnel choices, or maintain them. Perhaps he is too busy. Possibly he lacks genuine interest. But he needs to up his game, avoid slow progress or incompletely.

• He dithered about assigning the crucial role of top civil servant to Chris Wormald.
• He made a former official his top aide, then replaced her with Morgan McSweeney.
• He brought a Treasury figure in from the finance ministry as his deputy.
• His communications chiefs have been frequently replaced.
• Advisors on politics and policy have come and gone.
• It is a mess.

Systemic Issues at the Heart of Government

All premiers spend too much time abroad and on international matters, areas where Sir Keir ought to assign more tasks, and too little talking to MPs and listening to the citizens. Premiers also spend too much time doing media, which Sir Keir compounds by doing it poorly. Yet leaders cannot claim to be surprised when their politically appointed staff, who are often party activists or politically ambitious, overstep boundaries or become the focus, as Mr McSweeney has recently.

The most significant problems, though, are systemic. It would be beneficial to believe that Sir Keir read the a think tank's March 2024 report on reforming the government's central operations. His failure to address these matters in the summer or afterward suggests he did not. The frequently dismal experience of the Labour administration suggests IfG proposals like restructuring the roles of the Cabinet Office and No 10, and separating the jobs of cabinet secretary and civil service head, are now urgent.

The political pre-eminence of PMs greatly exceeds the assistance provided to them. Consequently, all aspects suffer, and much is done badly or neglected.

This isn't Sir Keir’s fault alone. He stands as the victim of past failures along with the architect of current mistakes. Yet individuals who expected Sir Keir might get a grip on the centre and take the machinery of government seriously have been disappointed. Sadly, the biggest loser from this shortcoming is Sir Keir personally.