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Sir Keir Starmer traveled to north Wales on Thursday to declare the construction of a fresh nuclear energy facility. This represents a significant policy event with implications at local and countrywide levels. Yet, the prime minister did not dedicate extensive time in Wales to advocating solutions for the UK's power requirements. Instead, he spent it trying to put an end to the Labour leadership briefing row, informing journalists that No 10 had not undermined the health secretary’s ambitions in recent days.

Therefore, Sir Keir’s day served as a small-scale example of what his premiership has now become 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, to an extent, the country more generally – now practices political and governmental affairs.

Sir Keir cannot change the political culture single-handedly, but he is able to take action about his own role in it. The simple truth is that he could run the government's core much more effectively than he does. If he did this, he might find that the nation was in less dismay about his government than it is, and that he was getting his messages across more successfully.

Personnel Problems in Downing Street

A number of the issues in Downing Street relate to individuals. The interpersonal relations of every Downing Street operation are difficult to discern well from outside. Yet it appears clear that Sir Keir fails to make good personnel choices, or stick with them. Perhaps he is too busy. 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 Chris Wormald.
• He made Sue Gray his top aide, then substituted her with Morgan McSweeney.
• He recruited Darren Jones in from the finance ministry as his deputy.
• His communications chiefs have been frequently replaced.
• Political and policy advisers have come and gone.
• The situation is chaotic.

Structural Challenges at the Core of the Administration

All premiers devote excessive time overseas and on international matters, where Sir Keir should delegate more, and too little talking to MPs and hearing the citizens. Premiers also allocate too much time doing media, which Sir Keir worsens by performing inadequately. Yet leaders cannot claim to be surprised when their politically appointed staff, who are often party loyalists or ambitious in politics, overstep boundaries or become the focus, as the chief of staff has recently.

The biggest issues, however, are structural. It would be beneficial to believe that Sir Keir reviewed the Institute for Government’s March 2024 report on reforming the government's central operations. His failure to grip these issues last July 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 top official and head of the civil service, are now urgent.

The dominant political role of PMs far outdistances the support available 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 is the victim of previous shortcomings as well as the architect of current mistakes. Yet individuals who expected Sir Keir would take control of the core and prioritize governmental structures have been disappointed. Unfortunately, the primary casualty from this shortcoming is Sir Keir personally.