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Prime Minister Starmer traveled to Wales' northern region on Thursday to announce the construction of a fresh nuclear energy facility. This is a major policy announcement with both local and national implications. However, the PM did not dedicate extensive time in Wales to promoting answers for the UK's energy needs. Rather, he spent it attempting to draw a line under the Labour leadership briefing row, telling journalists that Downing Street had not undermined the health secretary’s ambitions in recent days.

Therefore, Sir Keir’s day acted as a microcosm of what his premiership has evolved into overall. Firstly, he desires his government to be doing, and to be perceived as performing, significant actions. Conversely, he is incapable to achieve this because of the way he – and, to an extent, the nation as a whole – now conducts politics and government.

The Prime Minister is unable to change the political culture single-handedly, but he is able to do something about his personal involvement in it. The plain fact is that he could manage the centre of government far better than he does. Should he achieve this, he could discover that the nation was in less despair about his government than it currently is, and that he was getting his messages across more effectively.

Personnel Problems in No 10

Some of the issues in Downing Street relate to personnel. The interpersonal relations of every Downing Street operation are difficult to discern accurately from the exterior. But it seems obvious that Sir Keir does not make good personnel choices, or maintain them. Maybe he is overly occupied. Possibly he lacks genuine interest. However, he must to up his game, not do things slowly or incompletely.

• He dithered about giving the crucial role of cabinet secretary to a senior official.
• He appointed Sue Gray his top aide, then replaced her with Morgan McSweeney.
• He brought Darren Jones in from the finance ministry as his deputy.
• His media advisors have been frequently replaced.
• Political and policy advisers have come and gone.
• The situation is chaotic.

Structural Challenges at the Heart of the Administration

All premiers spend too much time overseas and on foreign affairs, where Sir Keir should delegate more, and too little conversing with parliamentarians and listening to the citizens. Prime ministers also spend too much time doing media, which Sir Keir worsens by doing it poorly. Yet leaders cannot express surprise when their politically appointed staff, who are often party loyalists or politically ambitious, cross lines or become the story, as the chief of staff now has.

The most significant problems, though, are structural. It would be beneficial to think that Sir Keir reviewed the Institute for Government’s March 2024 report on reforming the centre of government. His failure to grip these issues in the summer or since implies he did not. The often abject performance of the Labour administration indicates recommendations like restructuring the roles of the Cabinet Office and No 10, and dividing the jobs of top official and civil service head, are currently critical.

The political pre-eminence of prime ministers greatly exceeds the support available to them. Consequently, everything currently suffers, and many tasks are poorly executed or ignored.

This is not Sir Keir’s fault alone. He is the victim of previous shortcomings as well as the architect of present ones. But those who hoped Sir Keir might get a grip on the core and take the machinery of government seriously have been disappointed. Unfortunately, the biggest loser from this failure is Sir Keir personally.