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Prime Minister Starmer visited north Wales on Thursday to declare the construction of a new nuclear power station. This is a significant policy event with both local and national implications. Yet, the PM did not dedicate extensive time in Wales to promoting answers for the UK's energy needs. Instead, he spent it attempting to draw a line under the Labour leadership briefing row, informing journalists that Downing Street had not undermined the health secretary's goals earlier this week.

As such, Sir Keir’s day served as a microcosm of what his prime ministership has evolved into more generally. Firstly, he desires his government 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, partly, the nation as a whole – now practices political and governmental affairs.

The Prime Minister cannot change the political culture single-handedly, but he is able to do something about his own role in it. The simple truth is that he could manage the government's core much more effectively 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 successfully.

Staffing Issues in Downing Street

Some of the issues in Number 10 relate to personnel. The personal dynamics of every Downing Street operation are hard to know accurately from the exterior. But it seems obvious that Sir Keir fails to make sound staffing decisions, or maintain them. Perhaps he is too busy. Perhaps he is not really interested. But he needs to up his game, avoid slow progress or by halves.

• He dithered about assigning the key job of cabinet secretary to a senior official.
• He appointed Sue Gray his top aide, then replaced her with a political strategist.
• He recruited a Treasury figure in from the finance ministry as his chief secretary.
• His media advisors have been frequently replaced.
• Political and policy advisers have entered and exited.
• It is a mess.

Structural Challenges at the Core of Government

All premiers devote excessive time abroad and on international matters, areas where Sir Keir ought to assign more tasks, and insufficient time talking to MPs and hearing the public. Prime ministers also spend too much time doing media, which Sir Keir compounds by performing inadequately. Yet leaders cannot claim to be surprised when their politically appointed staff, who are often party loyalists or ambitious in politics, cross lines or become the story, as Mr McSweeney now has.

The most significant problems, though, are structural. It would be beneficial to believe that Sir Keir reviewed the a think tank's March 2024 report on reforming the government's central operations. His inability to grip these issues last July or afterward implies he did not. The often abject experience of Labour’s time in office suggests recommendations like reorganizing the roles of the Cabinet Office and No 10, and dividing the jobs of top official and civil service head, are currently critical.

The political pre-eminence of prime ministers greatly exceeds the assistance provided to them. Consequently, everything currently suffers, and many tasks are poorly executed or neglected.

This is not Sir Keir’s fault alone. He is the victim of past failures as well as the architect of current mistakes. Yet individuals who expected Sir Keir would take control of the centre and take the machinery of government seriously have been disappointed. Sadly, the biggest loser from this shortcoming is Sir Keir personally.