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Prime Minister Starmer visited Wales' northern region on Thursday to declare the construction of a new nuclear power station. This represents a major policy announcement with both local and national implications. Yet, the PM did not devote much time in Wales to promoting solutions for the UK's energy needs. Rather, he used the time trying to draw a line under the briefing controversy within Labour's leadership, informing journalists that No 10 had not briefed against the health secretary’s ambitions earlier this week.

As such, Sir Keir’s day acted as a small-scale example of what his prime ministership has evolved into overall. Firstly, he desires his administration 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 practices politics and government.

Sir Keir cannot change the political culture on his own, but he is able to do something about his personal involvement in it. The simple truth is that he could manage the government's core much more effectively than he does. Should he achieve this, he could discover that the nation was in less dismay about his administration than it is, and that he was getting his messages across more effectively.

Staffing Issues in Downing Street

A number of the problems in Number 10 are about personnel. The interpersonal relations of any No 10 regime are hard to know accurately from the exterior. But it seems obvious that Sir Keir fails to make sound staffing decisions, or stick with them. Maybe he is overly occupied. Possibly he lacks genuine interest. But he needs to improve his performance, avoid slow progress or incompletely.

• He dithered about assigning the key job of cabinet secretary to Chris Wormald.
• He appointed a former official his chief of staff, then replaced her with Morgan McSweeney.
• He brought 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 come and gone.
• The situation is chaotic.

Systemic Issues at the Core of Government

Every prime minister spend too much time abroad and on international matters, where Sir Keir should delegate more, and too little talking to MPs and listening to the citizens. Prime ministers 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 politically appointed staff, who tend to be party loyalists or ambitious in politics, cross lines or become the story, as Mr McSweeney now has.

The biggest issues, though, are systemic. It would be good to believe that Sir Keir reviewed the a think tank's spring 2024 study on overhauling the government's central operations. His inability to grip these issues last July or since implies he did not. The frequently dismal experience of Labour’s time in office suggests IfG proposals like reorganizing the roles of the central government office and Downing Street, and dividing the jobs of top official and civil service head, are now urgent.

The political pre-eminence of PMs greatly exceeds the assistance provided to them. As a result, all aspects suffer, and many tasks are poorly executed or ignored.

This is not Sir Keir’s sole responsibility. He stands as the victim of previous shortcomings as well as the architect of present ones. Yet individuals who expected Sir Keir would take control of the centre and prioritize governmental structures have been let down. Unfortunately, the primary casualty from this failure is Sir Keir himself.