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Sir Keir Starmer visited north Wales this past Thursday to announce the building of a new nuclear power station. This represents a major policy announcement with both local and national implications. However, the prime minister did not devote extensive time in Wales to advocating answers for the UK's power requirements. Instead, he spent it trying to put an end to the Labour leadership briefing row, informing journalists that Downing Street had not undermined the health secretary's goals earlier this week.

As such, Sir Keir’s day served as a microcosm of what his premiership has now become more generally. Firstly, he wants his government to be doing, and to be perceived as performing, important things. On the other hand, he is unable to achieve this because of the manner he – and, partly, the country more generally – now practices political and governmental affairs.

The Prime Minister is unable to transform the culture of politics single-handedly, but he can do something about his own role in it. The simple truth is that he could manage the government's core far better than he does. Should he achieve this, he could discover that the country was in less dismay about his administration than it is, and that he was communicating his points more effectively.

Personnel Problems in No 10

A number of the problems in Downing Street are about personnel. The personal dynamics of any No 10 regime are hard to know well from outside. But it seems obvious that Sir Keir fails to make sound staffing decisions, or stick with them. Perhaps he is too busy. Possibly he lacks genuine interest. However, he must to improve his performance, avoid slow progress or incompletely.

• He hesitated about giving the crucial role of cabinet secretary to a senior official.
• He appointed a former official his top aide, then substituted her with Morgan McSweeney.
• He brought Darren Jones in from the finance ministry as his deputy.
• His communications chiefs have been frequently replaced.
• Advisors on politics and policy have come and gone.
• The situation is chaotic.

Structural Challenges at the Heart of the Administration

All premiers spend too much time abroad and on international matters, where Sir Keir should delegate more, and too little conversing with parliamentarians and hearing the citizens. Prime ministers also spend too much time doing media, which Sir Keir compounds by performing inadequately. But premiers cannot express surprise when their politically appointed staff, who are often party loyalists or ambitious in politics, overstep boundaries or become the story, as the chief of staff has recently.

The most significant problems, though, are structural. It would be good to believe that Sir Keir reviewed the Institute for Government’s spring 2024 report on overhauling the government's central operations. His failure to grip these issues last July or since implies he did not. The often abject experience of the Labour administration suggests IfG proposals like reorganizing the functions of the Cabinet Office and Downing Street, and dividing the jobs 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, all aspects suffer, and many tasks are poorly executed or ignored.

This is not Sir Keir’s fault alone. He is the casualty of previous shortcomings along with the author of current mistakes. But those who hoped Sir Keir might get a grip on the core and prioritize governmental structures have been let down. Sadly, the primary casualty from this shortcoming is Sir Keir personally.