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Sir Keir Starmer traveled to north Wales on Thursday to reveal the building of a new nuclear power station. This is a major policy announcement with both local and national implications. Yet, the PM did not dedicate extensive time in Wales to advocating answers for the UK's power requirements. Rather, he spent it trying to put an end to the briefing controversy within Labour's leadership, informing reporters that Downing Street had not undermined the health secretary’s ambitions in recent days.

Therefore, Sir Keir’s day served as a small-scale example of what his prime ministership has evolved into overall. Firstly, he wants his administration to be performing, and to be perceived as performing, important things. On the other hand, he is incapable to achieve this because of the manner he – and, to an extent, the nation as a whole – now conducts political and governmental affairs.

Sir Keir cannot transform the culture of politics single-handedly, but he is able to do something about his personal involvement in it. The simple truth is that he could run the government's core far better than he does. Should he achieve this, he could discover that the country was in less despair about his government than it currently is, and that he was communicating his points more successfully.

Staffing Issues in Downing Street

Some of the problems in Number 10 relate to individuals. The personal dynamics of any No 10 regime are hard to know well from outside. Yet it appears clear that Sir Keir does not make good personnel choices, or maintain them. Perhaps he is too busy. Possibly he lacks genuine interest. But he needs to improve his performance, avoid slow progress or by halves.

• He dithered about giving the crucial role of cabinet secretary to Chris Wormald.
• He appointed Sue Gray his top aide, then replaced her with Morgan McSweeney.
• He recruited a Treasury figure in from the finance ministry as his deputy.
• His communications chiefs have chopped and changed.
• Political and policy advisers have come and gone.
• It is a mess.

Systemic Issues at the Heart of the Administration

All premiers spend too much time overseas and on international matters, areas where Sir Keir ought to assign more tasks, and insufficient time talking to MPs and listening to the citizens. Prime ministers also spend too much time doing media, which Sir Keir worsens by doing it poorly. Yet leaders cannot express surprise when their political appointees, who are often party loyalists or ambitious in politics, overstep boundaries or become the focus, as the chief of staff now has.

The biggest issues, however, are structural. It would be beneficial to think that Sir Keir reviewed the Institute for Government’s spring 2024 report on reforming the centre of government. His inability to address these matters in the summer or afterward suggests he did not. The frequently dismal performance of the Labour administration indicates IfG proposals like reorganizing the functions of the Cabinet Office and Downing Street, and separating the jobs of top official and head of the civil service, are currently critical.

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

This is not Sir Keir’s sole responsibility. He is the victim of previous shortcomings as well as the author of current mistakes. Yet individuals who expected Sir Keir would take control of the core and prioritize governmental structures have been let down. Sadly, the primary casualty from this shortcoming is Sir Keir himself.