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Sir Keir Starmer traveled to north Wales this past Thursday to reveal the construction of a fresh nuclear energy facility. This represents a significant policy event with implications at local and countrywide levels. However, the PM did not dedicate much time in Wales to advocating answers for the UK's energy needs. Rather, he spent it trying 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 goals earlier this week.

Therefore, Sir Keir’s day acted as a small-scale example of what his premiership has evolved into more generally. Firstly, he desires his administration to be performing, and to be perceived as performing, significant actions. On the other hand, he is unable to achieve this because of the way he – and, to an extent, the country more generally – now conducts political and governmental affairs.

Sir Keir is unable to change the political culture single-handedly, but he can take action about his personal involvement in it. The plain fact is that he could run the centre of government much more effectively than he currently does. If he did this, he might find that the country was in less dismay about his government than it is, and that he was communicating his points more successfully.

Staffing Issues in No 10

Some of the issues in Downing Street are about personnel. The interpersonal relations of every Downing Street operation are hard to know well from outside. Yet it appears clear that Sir Keir does not 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 hesitated about giving the crucial role of cabinet secretary to a senior official.
• He appointed a former official his top aide, then replaced her with Morgan McSweeney.
• He brought Darren Jones in from the finance ministry as his deputy.
• His media advisors have chopped and changed.
• Advisors on politics and policy have entered and exited.
• The situation is chaotic.

Structural Challenges at the Heart of Government

Every prime minister devote excessive time overseas and on international matters, areas where Sir Keir ought to assign more tasks, and insufficient time talking to MPs and listening to the citizens. Prime ministers also allocate too much time engaging with the press, which Sir Keir compounds by doing it poorly. Yet leaders cannot express surprise when their politically appointed staff, who tend to be party loyalists or ambitious in politics, cross lines or become the story, as Mr McSweeney has recently.

The most significant problems, though, are structural. It would be good to think that Sir Keir reviewed the Institute for Government’s March 2024 report on reforming the centre of government. His inability to grip these issues in the summer or afterward suggests he did not. The often abject experience of Labour’s time in office indicates IfG proposals like restructuring the roles of the central government office and No 10, and dividing the jobs of cabinet secretary and head of the civil service, are currently critical.

The dominant political role of PMs far outdistances the assistance provided to them. Consequently, everything currently suffers, and much is done badly or neglected.

This isn't Sir Keir’s sole responsibility. He is the victim of past failures along with the author of present ones. Yet individuals who expected Sir Keir would take control of the centre and take the machinery of government seriously have been disappointed. Unfortunately, the biggest loser from this shortcoming is Sir Keir himself.