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Sir Keir Starmer visited Wales' northern region on Thursday to reveal the construction of a fresh nuclear energy facility. This represents a major policy announcement with both local and national implications. However, the PM did not devote extensive time in Wales to promoting answers for the UK's power requirements. Instead, he spent it attempting to put an end to the briefing controversy within Labour's leadership, telling reporters that No 10 had not undermined the health secretary's goals in recent days.

As such, Sir Keir’s day acted as a small-scale example of what his premiership has now become overall. Firstly, he wants his administration to be doing, and to be perceived as performing, significant actions. Conversely, he is incapable to achieve this because of the manner he – and, partly, the nation as a whole – now practices political and governmental affairs.

The Prime Minister is unable to change the culture of politics on his own, but he can do something about his personal involvement in it. The plain fact is that he could manage the centre of government much more effectively than he currently does. Should he achieve this, he might find that the country was in less despair about his administration than it currently is, and that he was communicating his points more effectively.

Personnel Problems in No 10

Some of the issues in Number 10 relate to individuals. The personal dynamics of every Downing Street operation are hard to know accurately from the exterior. Yet it appears clear that Sir Keir does not make sound staffing decisions, or stick with them. Perhaps he is too busy. Perhaps he is not really interested. However, he must to up his game, not do things slowly or incompletely.

• He dithered about assigning the crucial role of top civil servant to Chris Wormald.
• He appointed a former official his top aide, then substituted her with Morgan McSweeney.
• He recruited a Treasury figure in from the finance ministry as his chief secretary.
• His communications chiefs have chopped and changed.
• Advisors on politics and policy have come and gone.
• It is a mess.

Systemic Issues at the Heart of the Administration

All premiers devote excessive time overseas and on foreign affairs, where Sir Keir should delegate more, and too little talking to parliamentarians and hearing the public. 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 has recently.

The most significant problems, however, are systemic. It would be beneficial to believe that Sir Keir read the Institute for Government’s spring 2024 report on reforming the government's central operations. His inability to address these matters in the summer or afterward suggests he did not. The often abject performance of the Labour administration suggests recommendations like reorganizing the roles of the Cabinet Office and No 10, and dividing the jobs of cabinet secretary and head of the civil service, are currently critical.

The political pre-eminence of PMs greatly exceeds the support available to them. Consequently, all aspects suffer, and many tasks are poorly executed or ignored.

This isn't Sir Keir’s sole responsibility. He is the casualty of previous shortcomings as well as the author of current mistakes. But those who hoped Sir Keir might get a grip on the centre and take the machinery of government seriously have been disappointed. Unfortunately, the biggest loser from this shortcoming is Sir Keir himself.