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Sir Keir Starmer traveled to Wales' northern region on Thursday to announce the building of a fresh nuclear energy facility. This represents a major policy announcement with both local and national implications. However, the PM did not devote much time in Wales to advocating answers for the UK's power requirements. Rather, he used the time attempting to put an end to the Labour leadership briefing row, telling journalists that No 10 had not briefed against the health secretary’s ambitions earlier this week.

As such, Sir Keir’s day served as a microcosm of what his premiership has evolved into more generally. Firstly, he desires his administration to be doing, and to be seen to be doing, important things. On the other hand, 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 is unable to transform the political culture single-handedly, but he is able to take action about his personal involvement in it. The simple truth is that he could run the government's core far better than he currently does. If he did this, he could discover that the nation was in less despair about his administration than it currently is, and that he was communicating his points more effectively.

Personnel Problems in Downing Street

A number of the issues in Number 10 relate to personnel. The personal dynamics of any No 10 regime are hard to know accurately from the exterior. But it seems obvious 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 by halves.

• He dithered about giving the crucial role of top civil servant to a senior official.
• He appointed a former official his top aide, then substituted her with a political strategist.
• He brought a Treasury figure in from the finance ministry as his deputy.
• His communications chiefs have chopped and changed.
• Political and policy advisers have entered and exited.
• The situation is chaotic.

Systemic Issues at the Heart of Government

All premiers devote excessive time abroad and on foreign affairs, where Sir Keir should delegate more, and insufficient time talking to MPs and hearing the public. Premiers also allocate too much time engaging with the press, which Sir Keir worsens by performing inadequately. Yet leaders cannot claim to be surprised when their political appointees, who are often party loyalists or politically ambitious, cross lines or become the focus, as the chief of staff now has.

The most significant problems, though, are systemic. It would be beneficial to believe that Sir Keir read the a think tank's March 2024 study on overhauling the centre of government. His inability to grip these issues last July or since implies he did not. The often abject experience of Labour’s time in office suggests recommendations like reorganizing the roles of the central government office and Downing Street, and dividing the jobs of cabinet secretary and head of the civil service, are now urgent.

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

This isn't Sir Keir’s sole responsibility. He stands as the casualty of previous shortcomings along with the author of present ones. But those who hoped Sir Keir might get a grip on the centre and prioritize governmental structures have been let down. Unfortunately, the primary casualty from this failure is Sir Keir himself.