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Sir Keir Starmer visited north Wales on Thursday to announce the building of a new nuclear power station. This represents a significant policy event 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. Rather, he spent it attempting 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 ambitions earlier this week.

As such, Sir Keir’s day served as a small-scale example of what his prime ministership has now become more generally. On the one hand, he desires his administration to be performing, and to be perceived as performing, significant actions. On the other hand, he is incapable to achieve this because of the manner he – and, partly, the country as a whole – now practices political and governmental affairs.

The Prime Minister cannot change the culture of politics single-handedly, but he can take action about his personal involvement in it. The plain fact is that he could manage the centre of government much more effectively 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.

Staffing Issues in No 10

Some of the problems in Number 10 relate to individuals. The interpersonal relations of every Downing Street operation are difficult to discern well from outside. But it seems obvious that Sir Keir fails to make sound staffing decisions, or maintain them. Perhaps he is too busy. Possibly he lacks genuine interest. But he needs to improve his performance, not do things slowly or by halves.

• He hesitated about giving the key job of top civil servant to Chris Wormald.
• He appointed a former official his top aide, then replaced her with a political strategist.
• He brought a Treasury figure in from the finance ministry as his chief secretary.
• His communications chiefs have chopped and changed.
• Political and policy advisers have entered and exited.
• The situation is chaotic.

Structural Challenges at the Heart of the Administration

All premiers spend too much time abroad and on foreign affairs, areas where Sir Keir ought to assign more tasks, and insufficient time talking to parliamentarians and listening to the citizens. Premiers also spend too much time doing media, which Sir Keir compounds by performing inadequately. But premiers cannot claim to be surprised when their political appointees, who tend to be party activists or ambitious in politics, overstep boundaries or become the focus, as the chief of staff has recently.

The most significant problems, however, are structural. It would be good to think that Sir Keir reviewed the Institute for Government’s spring 2024 study on overhauling the government's central operations. 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 restructuring the functions of the Cabinet Office and No 10, and separating the positions of top official and head of the civil service, are currently critical.

The political pre-eminence of prime ministers far outdistances the support available to them. As a result, all aspects suffer, and much is done badly or neglected.

This is not Sir Keir’s fault alone. He stands as the victim of past failures along with the architect of present ones. Yet individuals who expected Sir Keir would take control of the centre and take the machinery of government seriously have been let down. Sadly, the biggest loser from this shortcoming is Sir Keir personally.