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Sir Keir Starmer visited north Wales 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 devote much time in Wales to advocating solutions for the UK's power requirements. Rather, he spent it attempting to put an end to the Labour leadership briefing row, informing journalists that No 10 had not briefed against the health secretary’s ambitions earlier this week.

As such, Sir Keir’s day acted as a microcosm of what his prime ministership has evolved into overall. Firstly, he desires his government to be performing, and to be seen to be doing, significant actions. Conversely, he is unable to achieve this because of the manner he – and, partly, the country more generally – now conducts politics and government.

Sir Keir is unable to change the culture of politics single-handedly, but he is able to take action about his personal involvement 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 administration 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 are about personnel. The personal dynamics of every Downing Street operation are hard to know well from outside. Yet it appears clear that Sir Keir fails to make good personnel choices, or maintain them. Maybe he is overly occupied. Possibly he lacks genuine interest. But he needs to improve his performance, not do things slowly or incompletely.

• He dithered about giving the crucial role of cabinet secretary to a senior official.
• He made Sue Gray his chief of staff, then substituted her with a political strategist.
• He recruited a Treasury figure in from the Treasury as his deputy.
• His communications chiefs have been frequently replaced.
• Advisors on politics and policy have come and gone.
• It is a mess.

Structural Challenges at the Heart of Government

Every prime minister devote excessive time abroad and on international matters, areas where Sir Keir ought to assign more tasks, and insufficient time conversing with parliamentarians and hearing the public. Prime ministers also allocate too much time engaging with the press, which Sir Keir worsens by performing inadequately. But premiers cannot express surprise when their political appointees, who are often party loyalists or ambitious in politics, overstep boundaries or become the focus, as Mr McSweeney has recently.

The biggest issues, however, are structural. It would be good to think that Sir Keir reviewed the a think tank's spring 2024 study on overhauling the centre of government. His inability to grip these issues last July or afterward suggests he did not. The frequently dismal performance of the Labour administration indicates recommendations like reorganizing the roles of the central government office and No 10, and separating the positions of top official and civil service head, are currently critical.

The political pre-eminence of prime ministers far outdistances the assistance provided to them. As a result, everything currently suffers, and much is done badly or neglected.

This is not Sir Keir’s fault alone. He is the victim 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 prioritize governmental structures have been disappointed. Sadly, the primary casualty from this shortcoming is Sir Keir personally.