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Prime Minister Starmer visited north Wales on Thursday to declare the construction of a new nuclear power station. This is a major policy announcement with implications at local and countrywide levels. However, the PM did not dedicate extensive time in Wales to advocating answers for the UK's energy needs. Rather, he spent it attempting to put an end to the briefing controversy within Labour's leadership, informing reporters that Downing Street had not briefed against the health secretary’s ambitions earlier this week.

As such, Sir Keir’s day acted as a microcosm of what his premiership has now become more generally. On the one hand, he wants his administration to be performing, and to be seen to be doing, important things. On the other hand, he is unable to accomplish this due to the way he – and, to an extent, the country as a whole – now practices politics and government.

Sir Keir cannot change the political culture single-handedly, but he is able to take action about his own role in it. The simple truth is that he could run the centre of government far better than he does. If he did this, he might find that the country was in less despair about his government than it is, and that he was communicating his points more effectively.

Staffing Issues in No 10

Some of the problems in Number 10 relate to personnel. The interpersonal relations of every Downing Street operation 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. Possibly he lacks genuine interest. However, he must to improve his performance, avoid slow progress or incompletely.

• He hesitated about assigning the key job of cabinet secretary to a senior official.
• He made Sue Gray his chief of staff, then substituted her with Morgan McSweeney.
• He recruited a Treasury figure in from the Treasury as his chief secretary.
• His media advisors have chopped and changed.
• Political and policy advisers have entered and exited.
• It is a mess.

Systemic Issues at the Core of Government

Every prime minister devote excessive time abroad and on foreign affairs, where Sir Keir should delegate more, and too little conversing with parliamentarians and hearing the public. Premiers also allocate too much time engaging with the press, which Sir Keir compounds by performing inadequately. Yet leaders cannot express surprise when their political appointees, who tend to be party loyalists or ambitious in politics, cross lines or become the story, as the chief of staff now has.

The biggest issues, however, are systemic. It would be beneficial to believe that Sir Keir read the a think tank's spring 2024 study on reforming the centre of government. His inability to address these matters last July or since implies he did not. The often abject experience of the Labour administration suggests recommendations like restructuring the functions of the central government office and No 10, and separating the positions of cabinet secretary and civil service head, are currently critical.

The political pre-eminence of PMs far outdistances the support available to them. As a result, all aspects suffer, and much is done badly or neglected.

This is not Sir Keir’s sole responsibility. He is the victim of past failures along with the architect of current mistakes. But those who hoped Sir Keir would take control of the core and take the machinery of government seriously have been let down. Sadly, the biggest loser from this shortcoming is Sir Keir himself.