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Prime Minister Starmer visited north Wales this past Thursday to declare the construction of a fresh nuclear energy facility. This represents a major policy announcement with implications at local and countrywide levels. Yet, the prime minister did not devote extensive time in Wales to advocating solutions for the UK's power requirements. Instead, he used the time attempting to draw a line under the Labour leadership briefing row, informing reporters that Downing Street had not undermined the health secretary’s ambitions earlier this week.

Therefore, Sir Keir’s day acted as a small-scale example of what his prime ministership has now become more generally. On the one hand, he desires his government to be doing, and to be perceived as performing, important things. On the other hand, he is incapable to accomplish this due to the manner he – and, to an extent, the country more generally – now practices political and governmental affairs.

Sir Keir is unable to transform the political culture single-handedly, but he can do something about his personal involvement in it. The plain fact is that he could run the government's core much more effectively than he does. Should he achieve this, he could discover that the country was in less dismay about his government than it is, and that he was communicating his points more effectively.

Personnel Problems in Downing Street

Some of the problems in Downing Street relate to individuals. The personal dynamics of any No 10 regime are hard to know well from outside. But it seems obvious that Sir Keir fails to make good personnel choices, or maintain them. Perhaps he is too busy. Possibly he lacks genuine interest. However, he must to improve his performance, not do things slowly or incompletely.

• He dithered about assigning the crucial role of cabinet secretary to a senior official.
• He made Sue Gray his chief of staff, then replaced her with a political strategist.
• He brought a Treasury figure in from the Treasury as his deputy.
• 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 Government

Every prime minister devote excessive time abroad and on foreign affairs, where Sir Keir should delegate more, and insufficient time conversing with parliamentarians and hearing the citizens. Prime ministers also spend too much time doing media, which Sir Keir worsens by doing it poorly. But premiers cannot express surprise when their political appointees, who are often party activists or politically ambitious, overstep boundaries or become the story, as Mr McSweeney now has.

The most significant problems, however, are structural. It would be good to believe that Sir Keir reviewed the Institute for Government’s March 2024 report on reforming the government's central operations. His inability to grip these issues last July or afterward suggests he did not. The frequently dismal experience of the Labour administration indicates IfG proposals like restructuring the functions of the Cabinet Office and Downing Street, and separating the positions of cabinet secretary and civil service head, are currently critical.

The dominant political role of prime ministers far outdistances the assistance provided to them. As a result, everything currently suffers, and many tasks are poorly executed or neglected.

This is not Sir Keir’s sole responsibility. 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 take the machinery of government seriously have been let down. Sadly, the primary casualty from this failure is Sir Keir himself.