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Sir Keir Starmer traveled to north Wales on Thursday to declare the construction of a fresh nuclear energy facility. This is a significant policy event with implications at local and countrywide levels. Yet, the PM did not dedicate extensive time in Wales to advocating solutions for the UK's energy needs. Rather, he spent it attempting to put an end to the briefing controversy within Labour's leadership, informing journalists that Downing Street had not briefed against the health secretary’s ambitions earlier this week.

As such, Sir Keir’s day served as a microcosm of what his premiership has now become overall. Firstly, he wants his government to be doing, and to be seen to be doing, significant actions. On the other hand, he is unable to accomplish this due to the way he – and, partly, the nation as a whole – now conducts politics and government.

Sir Keir is unable to change the culture of politics on his own, but he can take action about his own role in it. The plain fact is that he could run the centre of government far better than he currently does. If he did this, he might find that the nation was in less dismay about his administration than it currently is, and that he was communicating his points more effectively.

Staffing Issues in No 10

Some of the problems in Number 10 are about individuals. The personal dynamics of any No 10 regime are difficult to discern well from outside. Yet it appears clear that Sir Keir fails to make sound staffing decisions, or stick with them. Perhaps he is too busy. Perhaps he is not really interested. However, he must to improve his performance, not do things slowly or incompletely.

• He dithered about giving the crucial role of top civil servant to a senior official.
• He made a former official his top aide, then replaced her with Morgan McSweeney.
• He brought Darren Jones in from the finance ministry as his deputy.
• His communications chiefs have chopped and changed.
• Advisors on politics and policy have entered and exited.
• It is a mess.

Structural Challenges at the Core of Government

All premiers devote excessive time abroad and on foreign affairs, areas where Sir Keir ought to assign more tasks, and insufficient time conversing with parliamentarians and hearing the public. Premiers also spend too much time doing media, 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 politically ambitious, cross lines or become the focus, as the chief of staff now has.

The biggest issues, however, are structural. It would be good to think that Sir Keir read the Institute for Government’s spring 2024 report on reforming the government's central operations. His failure to address these matters last July or afterward suggests he did not. The frequently dismal performance of the Labour administration indicates recommendations like restructuring the roles of the central government office and Downing Street, and dividing the positions of top official and head of the civil service, are now urgent.

The dominant political role of PMs greatly exceeds the assistance provided to them. Consequently, all aspects suffer, and many tasks are poorly executed or neglected.

This isn't Sir Keir’s fault alone. He is the victim of past failures along with the author of current mistakes. Yet individuals who expected Sir Keir would take control of the core and take the machinery of government seriously have been disappointed. Sadly, the primary casualty from this shortcoming is Sir Keir himself.