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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 both local and national implications. However, the PM did not dedicate extensive time in Wales to promoting solutions for the UK's energy needs. Instead, he used the time trying to put an end to the Labour leadership briefing row, telling reporters that No 10 had not undermined the health secretary's goals in recent days.

Therefore, Sir Keir’s day acted as a microcosm 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. Conversely, he is unable to achieve this because of the manner he – and, partly, the nation more generally – now conducts politics and government.

Sir Keir cannot transform the culture of politics on his own, but he can do something about his own role in it. The simple truth is that he could run the centre of government much more effectively than he currently does. If he did this, he could discover that the nation was in less despair about his government than it is, and that he was getting his messages across more successfully.

Personnel Problems in No 10

A number of the issues in Number 10 are about individuals. The interpersonal relations of every Downing Street operation are difficult to discern accurately from the exterior. Yet it appears clear that Sir Keir does not make sound staffing decisions, or stick with them. Maybe he is overly occupied. Perhaps he is not really interested. However, he must to up his game, avoid slow progress or by halves.

• He hesitated about assigning the crucial role of cabinet secretary to Chris Wormald.
• He appointed a former official his chief of staff, then substituted her with a political strategist.
• He recruited a Treasury figure in from the Treasury as his deputy.
• His communications chiefs have been frequently replaced.
• Political and policy advisers have come and gone.
• It is a mess.

Structural Challenges at the Core of the Administration

Every prime minister devote excessive time overseas and on foreign affairs, where Sir Keir should delegate more, and too little conversing with parliamentarians and listening to the citizens. Premiers also allocate too much time engaging with the press, which Sir Keir worsens by performing inadequately. Yet leaders cannot express surprise when their political appointees, who are often party activists or politically ambitious, cross lines or become the story, as Mr McSweeney has recently.

The biggest issues, however, are systemic. It would be good to believe that Sir Keir read the a think tank's spring 2024 report on reforming the government's central operations. His inability to address these matters last July or afterward implies he did not. The often abject experience of Labour’s time in office indicates IfG proposals like restructuring the functions of the Cabinet Office and Downing Street, and dividing the jobs of top official and civil service head, are currently critical.

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

This isn't Sir Keir’s sole responsibility. He is the casualty of past failures as well as the author of current mistakes. Yet individuals who expected Sir Keir might get a grip on the core and take the machinery of government seriously have been disappointed. Unfortunately, the primary casualty from this failure is Sir Keir himself.