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Prime Minister Starmer traveled to north Wales this past Thursday to announce the development of a new nuclear power station. This is a significant policy event with both local and national implications. Yet, the prime minister did not dedicate extensive time in Wales to promoting answers for the UK's power requirements. Instead, he spent it trying to put an end to the briefing controversy within Labour's leadership, informing reporters that No 10 had not briefed against the health secretary's goals earlier this week.

As such, Sir Keir’s day acted as a small-scale example of what his prime ministership has evolved into overall. Firstly, he desires 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 way he – and, to an extent, the nation more generally – now practices political and governmental affairs.

Sir Keir cannot change the political culture single-handedly, but he can take action about his own role in it. The plain fact is that he could manage the centre of government much more effectively than he does. Should he achieve this, he could discover that the nation was in less dismay about his administration than it is, and that he was getting his messages across more effectively.

Personnel Problems in Downing Street

A number of the problems in Downing Street are about individuals. The interpersonal relations of any No 10 regime are difficult to discern well from outside. Yet it appears clear that Sir Keir fails to make sound staffing decisions, or maintain them. Maybe he is overly occupied. Perhaps he is not really interested. But he needs to up his game, avoid slow progress or incompletely.

• He dithered about giving the crucial role of cabinet secretary to Chris Wormald.
• He made a former official his chief of staff, 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.
• Political and policy advisers have entered and exited.
• The situation is chaotic.

Systemic Issues at the Core of Government

All premiers spend too much time abroad and on international matters, where Sir Keir should delegate more, and insufficient time conversing with MPs and hearing the public. Prime ministers also allocate too much time doing media, which Sir Keir worsens by doing it poorly. But premiers cannot claim to be surprised when their politically appointed staff, who tend to be party activists or ambitious in politics, cross lines or become the story, as Mr McSweeney now has.

The most significant problems, however, are structural. It would be beneficial to think that Sir Keir read the a think tank's spring 2024 study on reforming the centre of government. His failure to address these matters in the summer or afterward implies he did not. The frequently dismal experience of Labour’s time in office indicates IfG proposals like reorganizing the functions of the central government office and No 10, and separating the positions of top official and head of the civil service, are now urgent.

The political pre-eminence of prime ministers greatly exceeds the support available to them. Consequently, everything currently suffers, and much is done badly or ignored.

This is not Sir Keir’s sole responsibility. He stands as the victim of past failures along with the author of current mistakes. Yet individuals who expected Sir Keir might get a grip on the core and prioritize governmental structures have been disappointed. Unfortunately, the biggest loser from this failure is Sir Keir himself.