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Prime Minister Starmer visited north Wales this past Thursday to reveal the development of a fresh nuclear energy facility. This represents a major policy announcement 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. Rather, he used the time trying to draw a line under the Labour leadership briefing row, informing reporters that No 10 had not undermined the health secretary's goals in recent days.

As such, Sir Keir’s day served as a microcosm of what his premiership has evolved into overall. Firstly, he wants his government to be performing, and to be perceived as performing, important things. Conversely, he is unable to accomplish this because of the way he – and, partly, the nation more generally – now conducts political and governmental affairs.

Sir Keir is unable to transform the political culture single-handedly, but he can do something about his personal involvement in it. The simple truth is that he could run the government's core 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 currently is, and that he was communicating his points more successfully.

Personnel Problems in No 10

A number of the issues in Downing Street are about personnel. The interpersonal relations of every Downing Street operation are difficult to discern accurately from the exterior. But it seems obvious that Sir Keir does not make good personnel choices, or maintain them. Maybe he is overly occupied. Perhaps he is not really interested. However, he must to up his game, not do things slowly or by halves.

• He dithered about assigning the crucial role of cabinet secretary to a senior official.
• He made a former official his chief of staff, then substituted her with a political strategist.
• He recruited a Treasury figure in from the Treasury as his chief secretary.
• His communications chiefs have been frequently replaced.
• Political and policy advisers have come and gone.
• The situation is chaotic.

Systemic Issues at the Heart of Government

All premiers devote excessive time overseas and on foreign affairs, areas where Sir Keir ought to assign more tasks, and insufficient time talking to parliamentarians and listening to the public. Prime ministers also spend too much time engaging with the press, which Sir Keir compounds by performing inadequately. Yet leaders cannot claim to be surprised when their politically appointed staff, who are often party loyalists or ambitious in politics, overstep boundaries or become the focus, as the chief of staff now has.

The biggest issues, however, are systemic. It would be good to believe that Sir Keir reviewed the Institute for Government’s spring 2024 study on overhauling the centre of government. His failure to address these matters last July or since implies he did not. The often abject experience of Labour’s time in office indicates IfG proposals like restructuring the roles of the central government office and Downing Street, and separating the jobs of cabinet secretary and head of the civil service, are currently critical.

The dominant political role of PMs greatly exceeds the assistance provided to them. Consequently, all aspects suffer, and many tasks are poorly executed or neglected.

This is not Sir Keir’s sole responsibility. He stands as the casualty of previous shortcomings as well as the author of current mistakes. But those who hoped Sir Keir would take control of the core and prioritize governmental structures have been let down. Sadly, the primary casualty from this shortcoming is Sir Keir personally.