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Prime Minister Starmer visited north Wales this past Thursday to announce the construction of a new nuclear power station. This represents a major policy announcement with implications at local and countrywide levels. Yet, the PM did not dedicate much time in Wales to promoting answers for the UK's energy needs. Instead, he spent it trying to draw a line under the briefing controversy within Labour's leadership, telling reporters that No 10 had not undermined the health secretary's goals in recent days.

Therefore, Sir Keir’s day served as a microcosm of what his prime ministership has now become more generally. Firstly, he wants his administration to be doing, and to be perceived as performing, significant actions. On the other hand, he is unable to achieve this because of the manner he – and, to an extent, the country more generally – now conducts politics and government.

The Prime Minister cannot change the culture of politics single-handedly, but he is able to do something about his own role in it. The simple truth is that he could run the centre of government far better than he does. Should he achieve this, he might find that the country was in less dismay about his government than it is, and that he was communicating his points more effectively.

Personnel Problems in Downing Street

Some of the problems in Number 10 are about personnel. The interpersonal relations of every Downing Street operation are difficult to discern well from outside. Yet it appears clear that Sir Keir fails to make good personnel choices, 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 giving the key job of top civil servant to Chris Wormald.
• He appointed a former official his top aide, then replaced her with Morgan McSweeney.
• He recruited Darren Jones in from the Treasury as his chief secretary.
• His communications chiefs have chopped and changed.
• Political and policy advisers have come and gone.
• The situation is chaotic.

Systemic Issues at the Heart of Government

Every prime minister spend too much time overseas and on international matters, areas where Sir Keir ought to assign more tasks, and insufficient time conversing with parliamentarians and listening to the public. Premiers also allocate too much time engaging with the press, which Sir Keir worsens by performing inadequately. Yet leaders cannot express surprise when their politically appointed staff, who tend to be party activists or politically ambitious, cross lines or become the focus, as Mr McSweeney has recently.

The biggest issues, however, are structural. It would be beneficial to think that Sir Keir read the Institute for Government’s spring 2024 report on reforming the government's central operations. His inability to address these matters last July or since suggests he did not. The often abject performance of Labour’s time in office indicates recommendations like restructuring the roles of the central government office and No 10, and separating the positions of cabinet secretary and civil service head, are now urgent.

The political pre-eminence 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 stands as the casualty of past failures as well as the architect of current mistakes. Yet individuals who expected Sir Keir might get a grip on the core and take the machinery of government seriously have been disappointed. Sadly, the primary casualty from this shortcoming is Sir Keir himself.