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Prime Minister Starmer traveled to north Wales on Thursday to announce the development of a new nuclear power station. This represents a major policy announcement with both local and national implications. However, the prime minister did not devote much time in Wales to advocating answers for the UK's power requirements. Rather, he spent it attempting to put an end to the briefing controversy within Labour's leadership, telling 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 microcosm of what his prime ministership has now become more generally. Firstly, he desires his government to be performing, and to be perceived as performing, important things. On the other hand, he is unable to accomplish this because of the manner he – and, partly, the nation as a whole – now practices political and governmental affairs.

Sir Keir is unable to change the political culture on his own, but he is able to do something about his personal involvement in it. The simple truth is that he could run the centre of government far better than he does. If he did this, he might find that the country was in less despair about his administration than it currently is, and that he was getting his messages across more successfully.

Personnel Problems in No 10

Some of the problems in Number 10 are about individuals. The personal dynamics of any No 10 regime are difficult to discern accurately from the exterior. Yet it appears clear that Sir Keir does not make sound staffing decisions, or maintain them. Maybe he is overly occupied. Possibly he lacks genuine interest. But he needs to up his game, not do things slowly or incompletely.

• He hesitated about assigning the key job of top civil servant to Chris Wormald.
• He made Sue Gray his chief of staff, then replaced her with Morgan McSweeney.
• He recruited Darren Jones in from the Treasury as his deputy.
• His communications chiefs have been frequently replaced.
• Advisors on politics and policy have entered and exited.
• It is a mess.

Systemic Issues at the Heart of Government

Every prime minister devote excessive time overseas and on foreign affairs, where Sir Keir should delegate more, and too little conversing with MPs and listening to the public. Premiers also allocate too much time engaging with the press, which Sir Keir worsens by doing it poorly. Yet leaders cannot claim to be surprised when their politically appointed staff, who tend to be party activists or politically ambitious, overstep boundaries or become the story, as the chief of staff now has.

The most significant problems, however, are systemic. It would be beneficial to think that Sir Keir reviewed the a think tank's spring 2024 report on overhauling the centre of government. His failure to grip these issues last July or since suggests he did not. The frequently dismal performance of Labour’s time in office indicates recommendations like reorganizing the roles of the Cabinet Office and No 10, and separating the jobs of cabinet secretary and head of the civil service, are now urgent.

The dominant political role of PMs far outdistances the assistance provided to them. Consequently, 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 author of present ones. Yet individuals who expected Sir Keir might get a grip on the core and take the machinery of government seriously have been let down. Unfortunately, the primary casualty from this shortcoming is Sir Keir himself.