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Sir Keir Starmer traveled to Wales' northern region this past Thursday to announce 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 devote much time in Wales to advocating solutions for the UK's power requirements. Instead, he spent it trying to put an end to the Labour leadership briefing row, telling journalists that Downing Street had not undermined the health secretary's goals earlier this week.

Therefore, Sir Keir’s day served as a small-scale example of what his premiership has evolved into overall. On the one hand, he desires his administration to be performing, and to be seen to be doing, significant actions. Conversely, he is incapable to achieve this due to the way he – and, to an extent, the country more generally – now conducts political and governmental affairs.

The Prime Minister is unable to change the culture of politics on his own, but he is able to do something about his own role in it. The plain fact is that he could run the centre of government much more effectively than he does. Should he achieve this, he might find that the country was in less dismay about his administration than it currently is, and that he was getting his messages across more effectively.

Personnel Problems in No 10

Some of the problems in Downing Street are about personnel. The personal dynamics of every Downing Street operation are difficult to discern accurately from the exterior. But it seems obvious that Sir Keir does not make sound staffing decisions, or maintain them. Perhaps he is too busy. Perhaps he is not really interested. However, he must to up his game, avoid slow progress or incompletely.

• He dithered about giving the crucial role of top civil servant to Chris Wormald.
• He appointed Sue Gray his chief of staff, then replaced her with a political strategist.
• He brought a Treasury figure in from the Treasury as his chief secretary.
• His media advisors have been frequently replaced.
• Political and policy advisers have come and gone.
• It is a mess.

Systemic Issues at the Heart of the Administration

All premiers devote excessive time abroad and on foreign affairs, areas where Sir Keir ought to assign more tasks, and insufficient time talking to parliamentarians and listening to the public. Premiers also spend too much time doing media, which Sir Keir compounds by performing inadequately. Yet leaders cannot claim to be surprised when their political appointees, who are often party activists or politically ambitious, cross lines or become the focus, as Mr McSweeney now has.

The biggest issues, though, are systemic. It would be beneficial to believe that Sir Keir read the a think tank's spring 2024 study on overhauling the government's central operations. His inability to grip these issues last July or since implies he did not. The frequently dismal performance of the Labour administration indicates IfG proposals like reorganizing the roles of the central government office and Downing Street, and separating the positions of top official and head of the civil service, are currently critical.

The political pre-eminence of prime ministers greatly exceeds the assistance provided to them. As a result, everything currently suffers, and much is done badly or ignored.

This isn't Sir Keir’s fault alone. He stands as the victim of past failures as well as the author of present ones. Yet individuals who expected Sir Keir might get a grip on the core and take the machinery of government seriously have been let down. Sadly, the primary casualty from this shortcoming is Sir Keir himself.