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Sir Keir Starmer visited Wales' northern region this past Thursday to declare the development of a fresh nuclear energy facility. This is a major policy announcement with both local and national implications. Yet, the prime minister did not dedicate extensive time in Wales to advocating answers for the UK's energy needs. Instead, he spent it trying to draw a line under the Labour leadership briefing row, informing journalists that Downing Street had not briefed against the health secretary's goals in recent days.

As such, Sir Keir’s day acted as a microcosm of what his prime ministership has evolved into overall. On the one hand, he wants his government to be doing, and to be perceived as performing, important things. Conversely, he is incapable to accomplish this due to the way he – and, partly, the country as a whole – now conducts political and governmental affairs.

Sir Keir cannot change the political culture on his own, but he can take action about his personal involvement in it. The simple truth is that he could run the government's core much more effectively than he currently does. Should he achieve this, he could discover that the country was in less dismay 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 problems in Number 10 relate to individuals. The interpersonal relations of every Downing Street operation are hard to know accurately from the exterior. But it seems obvious 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 dithered about assigning the key job of cabinet secretary to Chris Wormald.
• He made Sue Gray his top aide, then replaced her with Morgan McSweeney.
• He recruited Darren Jones in from the finance ministry as his chief secretary.
• His media advisors have chopped and changed.
• Advisors on politics and policy have come and gone.
• The situation is chaotic.

Systemic Issues at the Heart of the Administration

All premiers spend too much time overseas and on international matters, where Sir Keir should delegate more, and too little talking to parliamentarians and hearing the citizens. Premiers also allocate too much time doing media, which Sir Keir compounds by performing inadequately. Yet leaders cannot claim to be surprised when their political appointees, who are often party loyalists or politically ambitious, cross lines or become the story, as Mr McSweeney has recently.

The most significant problems, however, are systemic. It would be beneficial to think 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 afterward implies he did not. The frequently dismal experience of Labour’s time in office suggests IfG proposals like restructuring the functions of the Cabinet Office and No 10, and dividing the positions of top official and head of the civil service, are currently critical.

The dominant political role of PMs greatly exceeds the assistance provided to them. Consequently, everything currently suffers, and much is done badly or ignored.

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