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Sir Keir Starmer traveled to Wales' northern region this past Thursday to reveal the building of a new nuclear power station. This represents a significant policy event with implications at local and countrywide levels. Yet, the PM 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 briefing controversy within Labour's leadership, informing journalists 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 prime ministership has evolved into overall. On the one hand, he wants his government to be doing, and to be seen to be doing, important things. Conversely, he is unable to accomplish this because of the way he – and, to an extent, the nation as a whole – now conducts politics and government.

Sir Keir 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 far better than he currently does. Should he achieve this, he might find that the nation was in less dismay about his administration than it is, and that he was communicating his points more effectively.

Staffing Issues in No 10

Some 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 fails to make sound staffing decisions, or stick with them. Perhaps he is too busy. Perhaps he is not really interested. However, he must to improve his performance, not do things slowly or incompletely.

• He dithered about giving the crucial role of top civil servant to Chris Wormald.
• He made Sue Gray his top aide, then replaced her with Morgan McSweeney.
• He recruited a Treasury figure in from the finance ministry as his chief secretary.
• His communications chiefs have been frequently replaced.
• Political and policy advisers have entered and exited.
• The situation is chaotic.

Systemic Issues at the Core of the Administration

Every prime minister spend too much time overseas and on foreign affairs, where Sir Keir should delegate more, and insufficient time talking to MPs and hearing the citizens. Premiers also spend too much time engaging with the press, which Sir Keir worsens by performing inadequately. But premiers cannot claim to be surprised when their politically appointed staff, who tend to be party loyalists or politically ambitious, cross lines or become the focus, as Mr McSweeney has recently.

The biggest issues, however, are structural. It would be good to believe that Sir Keir read the a think tank's spring 2024 study on overhauling the government's central operations. His inability 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 roles of the Cabinet Office and Downing Street, and separating the positions of cabinet secretary and head of the civil service, are currently critical.

The dominant political role of PMs greatly exceeds the support available to them. As a result, everything currently suffers, and much is done badly or neglected.

This isn't Sir Keir’s fault alone. He is the casualty of previous shortcomings as well as the architect of present ones. Yet individuals who expected Sir Keir would take control of the core and prioritize governmental structures have been disappointed. Unfortunately, the biggest loser from this shortcoming is Sir Keir himself.