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Prime Minister Starmer traveled to north Wales on Thursday to announce the development of a fresh nuclear energy facility. This is a significant policy event with implications at local and countrywide levels. Yet, the PM did not dedicate much time in Wales to advocating solutions for the UK's power requirements. Instead, he used the time attempting to put an end to the briefing controversy within Labour's leadership, telling 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 premiership has evolved into more generally. On the one hand, he wants his government to be performing, and to be perceived as performing, important things. Conversely, he is unable to achieve this due to the way he – and, to an extent, the country more generally – now conducts politics and government.

The Prime Minister is unable to change the culture of politics on his own, but he can take action about his own role in it. The plain fact is that he could manage the centre of government far better than he does. If he did this, he might find that the country was in less despair about his government than it is, and that he was getting his messages across more successfully.

Personnel Problems in Downing Street

Some of the problems in Downing Street 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 fails to make good personnel choices, or maintain them. Maybe he is overly occupied. Perhaps he is not really interested. However, he must to improve his performance, avoid slow progress or by halves.

• He dithered about giving the crucial role of cabinet secretary to Chris Wormald.
• He made Sue Gray his top aide, then substituted her with Morgan McSweeney.
• He brought Darren Jones in from the Treasury as his chief secretary.
• His media advisors have been frequently replaced.
• Advisors on politics and policy have come and gone.
• The situation is chaotic.

Structural Challenges at the Heart of Government

All premiers spend too much time abroad and on international matters, where Sir Keir should delegate more, and insufficient time conversing with MPs and hearing the citizens. 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 are often party loyalists or ambitious in politics, cross lines or become the focus, as Mr McSweeney now has.

The most significant problems, though, are structural. It would be good to believe that Sir Keir read the Institute for Government’s March 2024 study on reforming the government's central operations. His inability to grip these issues in the summer or since implies he did not. The often abject performance of Labour’s time in office indicates IfG proposals like restructuring the functions of the central government office and Downing Street, and separating the jobs of top official and civil service head, are now urgent.

The dominant political role of prime ministers far outdistances the support available to them. As a result, everything currently suffers, and much is done badly or ignored.

This is not Sir Keir’s fault alone. He is the victim of previous shortcomings along with the architect of current mistakes. Yet individuals who expected Sir Keir would take control of the centre and take the machinery of government seriously have been disappointed. Unfortunately, the primary casualty from this shortcoming is Sir Keir personally.