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Prime Minister Starmer traveled to north Wales this past Thursday to reveal the construction of a new nuclear power station. This is a major policy announcement with both local and national implications. Yet, the PM did not devote extensive time in Wales to promoting solutions for the UK's energy needs. Instead, he spent it trying to put an end to the Labour leadership briefing row, 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 premiership has now become more generally. Firstly, he desires his administration to be performing, and to be perceived as performing, important things. On the other hand, he is unable to accomplish this because of the manner he – and, partly, the nation more generally – now practices politics and government.

The Prime Minister cannot transform the culture of politics single-handedly, but he is able to do something about his own role in it. The plain fact is that he could manage the government's core far better than he does. Should he achieve this, he might find that the country was in less despair about his government than it is, and that he was getting his messages across more successfully.

Staffing Issues in No 10

A number of the issues 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 fails to make good personnel choices, or stick with them. Maybe he is overly occupied. Perhaps he is not really interested. However, he must to up his game, avoid slow progress or by halves.

• He dithered about assigning the key job of cabinet secretary to Chris Wormald.
• He appointed a former official his chief of staff, then substituted her with a political strategist.
• He brought Darren Jones in from the finance ministry as his deputy.
• His communications chiefs have been frequently replaced.
• Political and policy advisers have come and gone.
• The situation is chaotic.

Structural Challenges at the Heart of the Administration

Every prime minister devote excessive time overseas 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 engaging with the press, which Sir Keir worsens by doing it poorly. But premiers cannot express surprise when their politically appointed staff, who are often party activists or ambitious in politics, overstep boundaries or become the focus, as Mr McSweeney has recently.

The most significant problems, however, are systemic. It would be beneficial to think that Sir Keir read the a think tank's spring 2024 study on overhauling the government's central operations. His failure to address these matters last July or since suggests he did not. The frequently dismal experience of the Labour administration suggests recommendations like reorganizing the roles of the Cabinet Office and Downing Street, and dividing the positions of top official and civil service head, are now urgent.

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

This isn't Sir Keir’s fault alone. He stands as the victim of past failures along with the author of present ones. But those who hoped Sir Keir might get a grip on the centre and take the machinery of government seriously have been let down. Sadly, the primary casualty from this failure is Sir Keir personally.