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Sir Keir Starmer visited north Wales on Thursday to reveal the building of a new nuclear power station. This represents a major policy announcement with implications at local and countrywide levels. Yet, the PM did not dedicate extensive time in Wales to advocating answers for the UK's power requirements. Rather, he used the time attempting to put an end to the Labour leadership briefing row, informing reporters that No 10 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. On the one hand, he wants his administration to be doing, and to be perceived as performing, significant actions. Conversely, he is unable to accomplish this because of the manner he – and, to an extent, the nation more generally – now practices political and governmental affairs.

The Prime Minister cannot transform the political culture single-handedly, but he is able to do something about his personal involvement in it. The plain fact is that he could manage the centre of government much more effectively than he 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 getting his messages across more effectively.

Staffing Issues in No 10

A number of the issues in Downing Street are about personnel. 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 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 hesitated about giving the key job of top civil servant to a senior official.
• He made a former official his chief of staff, then replaced her with a political strategist.
• He brought Darren Jones in from the Treasury as his deputy.
• His media advisors have chopped and changed.
• Advisors on politics and policy have entered and exited.
• The situation is chaotic.

Structural Challenges at the Heart of the Administration

Every prime minister devote excessive time abroad and on international matters, where Sir Keir should delegate more, and insufficient time conversing with parliamentarians and hearing the citizens. Premiers also allocate too much time engaging with the press, which Sir Keir compounds by performing inadequately. But premiers cannot claim to be surprised when their political appointees, who tend to be party loyalists or ambitious in politics, cross lines or become the focus, as Mr McSweeney now has.

The most significant problems, though, are systemic. It would be good to believe that Sir Keir read the Institute for Government’s March 2024 report on reforming the centre of government. His inability to address these matters in the summer or afterward suggests he did not. The frequently dismal experience of Labour’s time in office indicates recommendations like restructuring the roles of the Cabinet Office and No 10, and separating the positions of top official and civil service head, are now urgent.

The political pre-eminence of prime ministers far outdistances the support available to them. Consequently, everything currently suffers, and many tasks are poorly executed or neglected.

This isn't Sir Keir’s fault alone. He stands as the casualty of previous shortcomings along with the architect of present ones. But those who hoped Sir Keir would take control of the core and prioritize governmental structures have been let down. Unfortunately, the primary casualty from this shortcoming is Sir Keir personally.