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Prime Minister Starmer traveled to north Wales on Thursday to announce the development of a new nuclear power station. This is a significant policy event with implications at local and countrywide levels. However, the prime minister did not dedicate extensive time in Wales to advocating answers for the UK's power requirements. Instead, he spent it attempting to draw a line under the Labour leadership briefing row, informing reporters that No 10 had not undermined the health secretary’s ambitions in recent days.

As such, Sir Keir’s day served as a microcosm of what his prime ministership has evolved into overall. On the one hand, he wants his government to be performing, and to be seen to be doing, important things. Conversely, he is unable to accomplish this due to the manner he – and, to an extent, the nation more generally – now practices politics and government.

The Prime Minister is unable to transform the culture of politics single-handedly, but he is able to take action about his own role in it. The simple truth is that he could manage the government's core far better than he does. If he did this, he could discover 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 No 10

A number of the problems in Downing Street relate to individuals. The interpersonal relations of any No 10 regime are hard to know well from outside. Yet it appears clear that Sir Keir fails to make good personnel choices, or stick with them. Perhaps he is too busy. Possibly he lacks genuine interest. But he needs to improve his performance, avoid slow progress or by halves.

• He dithered about giving the key job of top civil servant to a senior official.
• He made Sue Gray his top aide, then replaced her with a political strategist.
• He brought a Treasury figure in from the finance ministry as his chief secretary.
• His media advisors have been frequently replaced.
• Advisors on politics and policy have entered and exited.
• It is a mess.

Structural Challenges at the Core of the Administration

All premiers spend too much time overseas and on international matters, where Sir Keir should delegate more, and insufficient time talking to parliamentarians and listening to the public. Prime ministers also spend too much time doing media, which Sir Keir worsens by performing inadequately. But premiers cannot claim to be surprised when their political appointees, who tend to be party loyalists or politically ambitious, cross lines or become the focus, as Mr McSweeney has recently.

The biggest issues, though, are systemic. It would be beneficial to believe that Sir Keir reviewed the a think tank's spring 2024 study on overhauling the centre of government. His inability to grip these issues in the summer or afterward implies he did not. The often abject performance of Labour’s time in office indicates recommendations like restructuring the functions of the Cabinet Office and No 10, and separating the jobs of top official and head of the civil service, are now urgent.

The political pre-eminence of PMs greatly exceeds the assistance provided to them. Consequently, all aspects suffer, and much is done badly or neglected.

This isn't Sir Keir’s fault alone. He is the victim of past failures along with the author of current mistakes. But those who hoped Sir Keir might get a grip on the core and prioritize governmental structures have been let down. Sadly, the biggest loser from this shortcoming is Sir Keir himself.