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Prime Minister Starmer visited Wales' northern region this past Thursday to announce the building of a new nuclear power station. This represents a major policy announcement with implications at local and countrywide levels. However, the prime minister did not devote extensive time in Wales to promoting answers for the UK's power requirements. Instead, he spent it trying to draw a line under the briefing controversy within Labour's leadership, telling journalists that No 10 had not undermined the health secretary’s ambitions earlier this week.

Therefore, Sir Keir’s day served as a microcosm of what his prime ministership has now become more generally. Firstly, he desires his administration to be doing, and to be perceived as performing, significant actions. On the other hand, he is unable to accomplish this because of the manner he – and, to an extent, the nation as a whole – now practices political and governmental affairs.

Sir Keir cannot transform the culture of politics single-handedly, but he can take action about his personal involvement in it. The plain fact is that he could run the centre of government far better than he currently 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 effectively.

Personnel Problems in No 10

A number of the issues in Downing Street relate to individuals. The personal dynamics of any No 10 regime are difficult to discern well from outside. Yet it appears clear that Sir Keir does not make good personnel choices, or maintain them. Maybe he is overly occupied. Possibly he lacks genuine interest. However, he must to improve his performance, 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 substituted her with a political strategist.
• He recruited Darren Jones in from the finance ministry as his chief secretary.
• His communications chiefs have chopped and changed.
• Advisors on politics and policy have entered and exited.
• It is a mess.

Systemic Issues at the Heart of the Administration

All premiers devote excessive time abroad and on international matters, where Sir Keir should delegate more, and too little talking to parliamentarians and hearing the public. Prime ministers also spend too much time doing media, which Sir Keir worsens by doing it poorly. But premiers cannot express surprise when their political appointees, who are often party activists or politically ambitious, overstep boundaries or become the story, as Mr McSweeney now has.

The biggest issues, however, are structural. It would be good to believe that Sir Keir read the Institute for Government’s March 2024 report on overhauling the centre of government. His inability to grip these issues in the summer or afterward implies he did not. The often abject experience of Labour’s time in office indicates recommendations like reorganizing the functions of the central government office and No 10, and separating the jobs of top official and head of the civil service, are currently critical.

The political pre-eminence of PMs far outdistances the assistance provided to them. As a result, everything currently suffers, and many tasks are poorly executed or ignored.

This isn't Sir Keir’s sole responsibility. He stands as the casualty of previous shortcomings as well as the architect of current mistakes. But those who hoped Sir Keir might get a grip on the core and take the machinery of government seriously have been let down. Sadly, the primary casualty from this failure is Sir Keir himself.