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Prime Minister Starmer visited Wales' northern region this past Thursday to announce the construction of a fresh nuclear energy facility. This is a major policy announcement with implications at local and countrywide levels. However, the PM did not dedicate much time in Wales to promoting solutions for the UK's energy needs. Rather, he spent it trying to put an end to the briefing controversy within Labour's leadership, telling journalists 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 more generally. Firstly, he wants his administration to be doing, and to be perceived as performing, significant actions. On the other hand, he is incapable to achieve this because of the way he – and, to an extent, the country more generally – now practices politics and government.

The Prime Minister is unable to change the culture of politics on his own, but he is able to do something about his personal involvement in it. The simple truth is that he could run the government's core far better than he does. Should he achieve this, he might find that the country was in less despair about his administration than it is, and that he was communicating his points more successfully.

Staffing Issues in Downing Street

Some of the issues in Downing Street relate to individuals. The interpersonal relations of every Downing Street operation are hard to know accurately from the exterior. 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. But he needs to up his game, avoid slow progress or incompletely.

• He hesitated about assigning the key job of top civil servant to a senior official.
• He appointed Sue Gray his top aide, then replaced her with Morgan McSweeney.
• He brought Darren Jones in from the Treasury as his chief secretary.
• His communications chiefs have chopped and changed.
• Political and policy advisers have come and gone.
• It is a mess.

Structural Challenges at the Heart of the Administration

Every prime minister devote excessive time overseas and on international matters, where Sir Keir should delegate more, and too little talking to parliamentarians and hearing the citizens. Premiers also allocate too much time doing media, which Sir Keir worsens by doing it poorly. But premiers cannot express surprise when their politically appointed staff, who tend to be party activists or ambitious in politics, cross lines or become the focus, as Mr McSweeney now has.

The biggest issues, however, are structural. It would be beneficial to think that Sir Keir reviewed the a think tank's March 2024 study on overhauling the centre of government. His inability to address these matters last July or since suggests he did not. The often abject performance of Labour’s time in office suggests recommendations like restructuring the roles of the Cabinet Office and No 10, and dividing the positions of cabinet secretary and head of the civil service, are currently critical.

The dominant political role of prime ministers far outdistances the assistance provided to them. As a result, all aspects suffer, and much is done badly or neglected.

This is not Sir Keir’s fault alone. He is the casualty of past failures as well as the architect of current mistakes. But those who hoped Sir Keir would take control of the centre and take the machinery of government seriously have been disappointed. Sadly, the primary casualty from this failure is Sir Keir personally.