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Prime Minister Starmer visited Wales' northern region on Thursday to announce the building of a new nuclear power station. This is a significant policy event with implications at local and countrywide levels. However, the PM did not devote much time in Wales to promoting answers for the UK's energy needs. Instead, he used the time attempting to draw a line under the briefing controversy within Labour's leadership, informing reporters that Downing Street had not briefed against the health secretary's goals in recent days.

Therefore, Sir Keir’s day served as a small-scale example of what his premiership has evolved into overall. Firstly, he desires his government to be performing, and to be perceived as performing, important things. On the other hand, he is incapable to accomplish this because of the manner he – and, partly, the country as a whole – now conducts political and governmental affairs.

The Prime Minister cannot transform the culture of politics on his own, but he is able to 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. Should he achieve this, he could discover that the nation was in less dismay about his government than it currently is, and that he was getting his messages across more effectively.

Personnel Problems in No 10

A number of the issues in Number 10 relate to individuals. The interpersonal relations of any No 10 regime are difficult to discern accurately from the exterior. Yet it appears clear that Sir Keir fails to make sound staffing decisions, or stick with them. Maybe he is overly occupied. Perhaps he is not really interested. However, he must to improve his performance, avoid slow progress or by halves.

• He dithered about giving the key job of top civil servant to Chris Wormald.
• He appointed a former official his chief of staff, then replaced her with Morgan McSweeney.
• He recruited a Treasury figure in from the Treasury 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 spend too much time overseas and on international matters, areas where Sir Keir ought to assign more tasks, and insufficient time talking to parliamentarians and hearing the public. Prime ministers also spend too much time doing media, which Sir Keir worsens by doing it poorly. Yet leaders cannot claim to be surprised when their political appointees, who are often party activists or ambitious in politics, overstep boundaries or become the focus, as the chief of staff now has.

The biggest issues, though, are systemic. It would be good to believe that Sir Keir read the Institute for Government’s spring 2024 report on overhauling the centre of government. His failure to grip these issues in the summer or since suggests he did not. The frequently dismal experience of Labour’s time in office indicates IfG proposals like restructuring the roles of the Cabinet Office and Downing Street, and separating the jobs of top official and civil service head, are currently critical.

The political pre-eminence of prime ministers far outdistances the support available to them. Consequently, everything currently suffers, and much is done badly or ignored.

This is not Sir Keir’s sole responsibility. He is the casualty of previous shortcomings along with the architect of current mistakes. But those who hoped Sir Keir would take control of the centre and take the machinery of government seriously have been let down. Unfortunately, the biggest loser from this shortcoming is Sir Keir himself.