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Sir Keir Starmer visited north Wales on Thursday to declare the building of a new nuclear power station. This represents a significant policy event with implications at local and countrywide levels. Yet, the prime minister did not devote extensive time in Wales to promoting answers for the UK's energy needs. Rather, he spent it trying to draw a line under the Labour leadership briefing row, informing reporters that Downing Street had not undermined the health secretary's goals earlier this week.

Therefore, Sir Keir’s day acted as a small-scale example of what his premiership has now become more generally. Firstly, he wants his administration to be doing, and to be seen to be doing, important things. On the other hand, he is unable to accomplish this due to the manner he – and, to an extent, the nation more generally – now conducts political and governmental affairs.

The Prime Minister cannot transform the political culture on his own, but he is able to do something about his own role in it. The simple truth is that he could run the government's core much more effectively than he currently does. If he did this, he could discover that the nation was in less dismay about his government than it currently is, and that he was communicating his points more effectively.

Personnel Problems in Downing Street

Some of the issues in Downing Street relate to individuals. The interpersonal relations 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. Perhaps he is too busy. Possibly he lacks genuine interest. But he needs to up his game, avoid slow progress or incompletely.

• He hesitated about assigning the crucial role of top civil servant to Chris Wormald.
• He made a former official his chief of staff, then replaced her with a political strategist.
• He brought Darren Jones in from the Treasury as his deputy.
• His media advisors have been frequently replaced.
• 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 foreign affairs, where Sir Keir should delegate more, and too little conversing with parliamentarians and hearing the citizens. Prime ministers also allocate too much time doing media, which Sir Keir worsens by performing inadequately. Yet leaders cannot express surprise when their political appointees, who tend to be party loyalists or politically ambitious, overstep boundaries or become the focus, as the chief of staff now has.

The most significant problems, though, are systemic. It would be good to believe that Sir Keir read the Institute for Government’s March 2024 study on overhauling the government's central operations. His failure to address these matters in the summer or since suggests he did not. The often abject performance of the Labour administration suggests IfG proposals like restructuring the functions of the Cabinet Office and Downing Street, and separating the positions of top official and civil service head, are currently critical.

The political pre-eminence of PMs far outdistances the support available 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 previous shortcomings as well as the author of current mistakes. But those who hoped Sir Keir might get a grip on the centre and prioritize governmental structures have been disappointed. Sadly, the primary casualty from this failure is Sir Keir personally.