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Sir Keir Starmer visited north Wales on Thursday to declare the building of a fresh nuclear energy facility. This represents a significant policy event with implications at local and countrywide levels. Yet, the PM did not dedicate extensive time in Wales to promoting solutions for the UK's energy needs. Instead, he used the time trying 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.

As such, Sir Keir’s day acted as a small-scale example of what his premiership has evolved into more generally. On the one hand, he wants his administration to be performing, and to be seen to be doing, significant actions. On the other hand, he is incapable to accomplish this due to the manner he – and, partly, the country as a whole – now practices politics and government.

Sir Keir cannot change the culture of politics single-handedly, but he can take action about his own role in it. The simple truth is that he could manage the government's core far better than he currently does. Should he achieve this, he could discover that the country was in less despair about his government than it is, and that he was getting his messages across more successfully.

Staffing Issues in No 10

Some of the problems in Number 10 are about individuals. The personal dynamics of every Downing Street operation 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. Perhaps he is too busy. Perhaps he is not really interested. However, he must to up his game, not do things slowly or by halves.

• He hesitated about giving the crucial role of cabinet secretary to Chris Wormald.
• He appointed Sue Gray his chief of staff, then substituted her with Morgan McSweeney.
• He brought a Treasury figure in from the Treasury as his chief secretary.
• His media advisors have chopped and changed.
• Political and policy advisers have come and gone.
• It is a mess.

Structural Challenges at the Core of Government

Every prime minister 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 citizens. Prime ministers also spend 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 are often party activists or ambitious in politics, cross lines or become the story, as the chief of staff has recently.

The biggest issues, however, are structural. It would be good to think that Sir Keir read the Institute for Government’s March 2024 study on overhauling the centre of government. His failure to address these matters in the summer or since implies he did not. The often abject performance of Labour’s time in office suggests IfG proposals like restructuring the functions of the central government office and Downing Street, and dividing the jobs of cabinet secretary and head of the civil service, are now urgent.

The dominant political role of prime ministers far outdistances the support available to them. As a result, everything currently suffers, and many tasks are poorly executed or ignored.

This isn't Sir Keir’s sole responsibility. He is the victim of past failures as well as the architect of current mistakes. But those who hoped Sir Keir might get a grip on the centre and prioritize governmental structures have been disappointed. Unfortunately, the primary casualty from this failure is Sir Keir himself.