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Prime Minister Starmer traveled to Wales' northern region this past Thursday to declare the construction of a fresh nuclear energy facility. This is a major policy announcement with both local and national implications. Yet, the PM did not devote much time in Wales to promoting answers for the UK's energy needs. Rather, he spent it trying to draw a line under the briefing controversy within Labour's leadership, informing reporters that No 10 had not undermined the health secretary's goals earlier this week.

Therefore, Sir Keir’s day acted as a microcosm of what his premiership has evolved into more generally. On the one hand, he desires his government to be doing, and to be perceived as performing, significant actions. Conversely, he is unable to achieve this due to the way he – and, partly, the country as a whole – now conducts political and governmental affairs.

The Prime Minister cannot change the culture of politics on his own, but he is able to take action about his own role in it. The plain fact is that he could run the government's core much more effectively than he does. Should he achieve this, he might find that the country was in less dismay about his administration than it is, and that he was communicating his points more effectively.

Staffing Issues in No 10

A number of the issues in Downing Street are about individuals. The personal dynamics of any No 10 regime are hard to know well from outside. Yet it appears clear that Sir Keir does not make good personnel choices, or stick with them. Maybe he is overly occupied. Perhaps he is not really interested. However, he must to up his game, avoid slow progress or by halves.

• He hesitated about assigning the crucial role of cabinet secretary to a senior official.
• He appointed a former official his chief of staff, then substituted her with Morgan McSweeney.
• He recruited Darren Jones in from the Treasury as his deputy.
• His communications chiefs have chopped and changed.
• Political and policy advisers have entered and exited.
• The situation is chaotic.

Structural Challenges at the Core of Government

All premiers devote excessive time abroad and on international matters, areas where Sir Keir ought to assign more tasks, and insufficient time talking to parliamentarians and hearing the citizens. Premiers also allocate too much time doing media, which Sir Keir worsens by doing it poorly. Yet leaders cannot express surprise when their political appointees, who tend to be party activists or politically ambitious, overstep boundaries or become the focus, as the chief of staff now has.

The most significant problems, however, are systemic. It would be beneficial to believe that Sir Keir read the Institute for Government’s March 2024 report on reforming the centre of government. His inability to grip these issues in the summer or afterward suggests he did not. The often abject performance of Labour’s time in office suggests IfG proposals like restructuring the functions of the Cabinet Office and No 10, and dividing the positions of cabinet secretary and civil service head, are currently critical.

The political pre-eminence of PMs greatly exceeds the support available to them. As a result, everything currently suffers, and much is done badly or ignored.

This isn't Sir Keir’s sole responsibility. He stands as the casualty of previous shortcomings as well as 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 let down. Unfortunately, the primary casualty from this shortcoming is Sir Keir personally.