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Sir Keir Starmer visited north Wales on Thursday to announce the construction of a fresh nuclear energy facility. This represents a significant policy event with both local and national implications. However, the prime minister did not devote much time in Wales to advocating answers for the UK's energy needs. Rather, he spent it attempting to put an end to the briefing controversy within Labour's leadership, telling journalists that No 10 had not undermined the health secretary’s ambitions in recent days.

As such, Sir Keir’s day acted as a small-scale example of what his prime ministership has evolved into overall. On the one hand, he wants his government to be performing, and to be perceived as performing, significant actions. On the other hand, he is unable to accomplish this because of the way he – and, partly, the country more generally – now conducts political and governmental affairs.

Sir Keir cannot 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 government's core much more effectively than he currently does. If he did this, he might find that the nation was in less dismay about his administration than it is, and that he was communicating his points more effectively.

Personnel Problems in No 10

A number of the problems in Downing Street relate to personnel. The personal dynamics of every Downing Street operation are hard to know well from outside. Yet it appears clear that Sir Keir fails to make sound staffing decisions, or maintain them. Maybe he is overly occupied. Possibly he lacks genuine interest. However, he must to improve his performance, not do things slowly or by halves.

• He hesitated about assigning the crucial role of top civil servant to a senior official.
• He appointed Sue Gray his top aide, then replaced her with Morgan McSweeney.
• He brought a Treasury figure in from the Treasury as his chief secretary.
• His media advisors have chopped and changed.
• Advisors on politics and policy have entered and exited.
• It is a mess.

Systemic Issues at the Core of Government

All premiers devote excessive time abroad and on international matters, where Sir Keir should delegate more, and too little talking to MPs and listening to the citizens. Premiers also allocate too much time doing media, which Sir Keir worsens by doing it poorly. But premiers cannot express surprise when their politically appointed staff, who are often party loyalists or ambitious in politics, overstep boundaries or become the story, as the chief of staff has recently.

The most significant problems, however, are structural. It would be beneficial to believe that Sir Keir read the Institute for Government’s March 2024 report on overhauling the government's central operations. His failure to address these matters last July or since implies he did not. The often abject experience of Labour’s time in office suggests IfG proposals like reorganizing the functions of the Cabinet Office and No 10, and dividing the jobs of top official and civil service head, are currently critical.

The dominant political role of prime ministers far outdistances the assistance provided 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 current mistakes. 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 failure is Sir Keir himself.