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Sir Keir Starmer traveled to north Wales on Thursday to announce the construction of a fresh nuclear energy facility. This is a major policy announcement with implications at local and countrywide levels. However, the PM did not dedicate extensive time in Wales to advocating answers for the UK's energy needs. Rather, he spent it trying to draw a line under the Labour leadership briefing row, informing journalists that Downing Street had not undermined the health secretary's goals earlier this week.

As such, Sir Keir’s day served as a microcosm of what his prime ministership has now become overall. On the one hand, he desires his government to be doing, and to be perceived as performing, important things. On the other hand, he is incapable to achieve this because of the way he – and, to an extent, the country more generally – now conducts politics and government.

Sir Keir cannot change the political culture on his own, but he is able to take action about his personal involvement in it. The plain fact is that he could run the government's core much more effectively than he does. If he did this, he could discover that the country was in less dismay about his government than it currently is, and that he was communicating his points more effectively.

Personnel Problems in No 10

A number of the issues in Downing Street are about personnel. The interpersonal relations of any No 10 regime are difficult to discern 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. Possibly he lacks genuine interest. However, he must to improve his performance, not do things slowly or by halves.

• He dithered about giving the key job of top civil servant to Chris Wormald.
• He made Sue Gray his chief of staff, then replaced her with a political strategist.
• He brought a Treasury figure in from the finance ministry as his chief secretary.
• His media advisors have been frequently replaced.
• Political and policy advisers have entered and exited.
• The situation is chaotic.

Systemic Issues at the Heart of the Administration

Every prime minister devote excessive time overseas and on international matters, areas where Sir Keir ought to assign more tasks, and too little talking to parliamentarians and listening to the citizens. Prime ministers also spend too much time doing media, which Sir Keir compounds by doing it poorly. But premiers cannot express surprise when their political appointees, who tend to be party loyalists or ambitious in politics, cross lines or become the focus, as Mr McSweeney now has.

The most significant problems, however, are systemic. It would be beneficial to believe that Sir Keir reviewed the Institute for Government’s March 2024 report on reforming the centre of government. His inability to address these matters last July or since implies he did not. The frequently dismal experience of Labour’s time in office indicates IfG proposals like restructuring the functions of the central government office and Downing Street, and dividing the positions of top official and civil service head, are currently critical.

The dominant political role of prime ministers far outdistances the support available to them. Consequently, all aspects suffer, and much is done badly or ignored.

This is not Sir Keir’s sole responsibility. He is the casualty of past failures along with the architect of current mistakes. But those who hoped Sir Keir might get a grip on the core and take the machinery of government seriously have been disappointed. Sadly, the primary casualty from this failure is Sir Keir personally.