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Prime Minister Starmer visited north Wales on Thursday to announce the building of a fresh nuclear energy facility. This is a major policy announcement with both local and national implications. Yet, the prime minister did not devote much time in Wales to advocating answers for the UK's power requirements. Instead, he spent it trying to draw a line under the briefing controversy within Labour's leadership, informing journalists that No 10 had not briefed against the health secretary's goals earlier this week.

As such, Sir Keir’s day served as a small-scale example of what his prime ministership has now become overall. On the one hand, he wants his government to be doing, and to be seen to be doing, significant actions. Conversely, he is incapable to accomplish this due to the manner he – and, to an extent, the country more generally – now practices politics and government.

The Prime Minister cannot transform the culture of politics single-handedly, but he can do something about his own role in it. The simple truth is that he could manage the government's core much more effectively than he currently does. If he did this, he might find that the nation was in less dismay about his government than it currently is, and that he was communicating his points more effectively.

Staffing Issues in Downing Street

Some of the problems in Number 10 relate to individuals. The interpersonal relations of any No 10 regime 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. Possibly he lacks genuine interest. But he needs to improve his performance, not do things slowly or incompletely.

• He hesitated about assigning the crucial role of top civil servant to a senior official.
• He appointed Sue Gray his chief of staff, then substituted her with a political strategist.
• He recruited Darren Jones in from the finance ministry as his deputy.
• His media advisors have chopped and changed.
• Political and policy advisers have entered and exited.
• It is a mess.

Systemic Issues at the Core of Government

All premiers devote excessive time overseas and on foreign affairs, where Sir Keir should delegate more, and too little talking to MPs and listening to the public. Premiers also allocate too much time doing media, which Sir Keir compounds by performing inadequately. But premiers cannot claim to be surprised when their politically appointed staff, who tend to be party loyalists or politically ambitious, cross lines or become the story, as Mr McSweeney now has.

The most significant problems, though, are systemic. It would be beneficial to believe that Sir Keir read the Institute for Government’s March 2024 study on reforming the government's central operations. His inability to address these matters in the summer or since implies he did not. The often abject performance of the Labour administration suggests recommendations like reorganizing the roles of the central government office and No 10, and dividing the jobs of top official and civil service head, are now urgent.

The dominant political role of PMs far outdistances the assistance provided to them. Consequently, all aspects suffer, and much is done badly or ignored.

This isn't Sir Keir’s fault alone. He stands as the casualty of past failures along with the author of current mistakes. But those who hoped Sir Keir might get a grip on the centre and prioritize governmental structures have been disappointed. Sadly, the biggest loser from this shortcoming is Sir Keir himself.