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Sir Keir Starmer visited Wales' northern region 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 power requirements. Instead, he used the time trying to put an end to the Labour leadership briefing row, informing journalists that Downing Street had not undermined the health secretary's goals in recent days.

As such, 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 government to be performing, and to be perceived as performing, significant actions. Conversely, he is unable to accomplish this due to the manner he – and, partly, the nation more generally – now practices political and governmental affairs.

The Prime Minister is unable to transform the political culture on his own, but he is able to take action about his own role in it. The plain fact is that he could run the centre of government far better than he does. Should he achieve this, he might find that the country was in less despair about his government than it currently is, and that he was communicating his points more successfully.

Staffing Issues in No 10

Some of the issues in Downing Street are about individuals. The personal dynamics of every Downing Street operation are difficult to discern accurately from the exterior. But it seems obvious that Sir Keir fails to make good personnel choices, or maintain them. Maybe he is overly occupied. Possibly he lacks genuine interest. However, he must to up his game, avoid slow progress or by halves.

• He dithered about giving the key job of cabinet secretary to a senior official.
• He appointed a former official his chief of staff, then replaced her with a political strategist.
• He recruited a Treasury figure in from the finance ministry as his chief secretary.
• His communications chiefs have chopped and changed.
• Advisors on politics and policy have entered and exited.
• It is a mess.

Structural Challenges at the Heart of Government

Every prime minister spend too much time abroad and on international matters, where Sir Keir should delegate more, 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 worsens by performing inadequately. But premiers cannot claim to be surprised when their politically appointed staff, who tend to be party activists or ambitious in politics, cross lines or become the story, as Mr McSweeney now has.

The biggest issues, however, are systemic. It would be beneficial to think that Sir Keir reviewed the a think tank's March 2024 report on reforming the centre of government. His inability to grip these issues last July or since suggests he did not. The often abject performance of Labour’s time in office suggests IfG proposals like reorganizing the functions of the central government office and No 10, and separating the jobs of top official and head of the civil service, are currently critical.

The political pre-eminence of prime ministers far outdistances the support available to them. As a result, all aspects suffer, and much is done badly or neglected.

This isn't Sir Keir’s fault alone. He stands as the casualty of past failures along with the architect of current mistakes. But those who hoped Sir Keir might get a grip on the centre and take the machinery of government seriously have been disappointed. Unfortunately, the primary casualty from this failure is Sir Keir himself.