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Prime Minister Starmer traveled to Wales' northern region on Thursday to declare the construction 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 solutions for the UK's energy needs. Rather, he spent it trying to draw a line under the Labour leadership briefing row, telling reporters 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 administration to be performing, and to be seen to be doing, important things. Conversely, he is incapable to achieve this because of the way he – and, partly, the country as a whole – now practices political and governmental affairs.

Sir Keir is unable to change 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 nation was in less despair about his government than it is, and that he was getting his messages across more effectively.

Staffing Issues in Downing Street

A number of the problems in Number 10 are about 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. Perhaps he is not really interested. However, he must to up his game, avoid slow progress or by halves.

• He dithered about giving the key job of cabinet secretary to Chris Wormald.
• He appointed a former official his top aide, then substituted her with a political strategist.
• He recruited a Treasury figure in from the Treasury as his chief secretary.
• His media advisors have chopped and changed.
• Advisors on politics and policy have come and gone.
• The situation is chaotic.

Structural Challenges at the Core of Government

Every prime minister spend too much time overseas and on international matters, areas where Sir Keir ought to assign more tasks, and insufficient time talking to parliamentarians and listening to the citizens. Premiers also allocate too much time doing media, which Sir Keir worsens by doing it poorly. Yet leaders cannot express surprise when their politically appointed staff, who tend to be party loyalists or ambitious in politics, overstep boundaries or become the focus, as Mr McSweeney has recently.

The most significant problems, though, are systemic. It would be beneficial to believe that Sir Keir read the Institute for Government’s March 2024 report on overhauling the government's central operations. His inability to address these matters in the summer or afterward suggests he did not. The frequently dismal performance of the Labour administration suggests recommendations like restructuring the functions of the central government office and No 10, and dividing the positions of cabinet secretary and civil service head, are now urgent.

The dominant political role of prime ministers greatly exceeds the support available to them. Consequently, everything currently suffers, and much is done badly or neglected.

This isn't Sir Keir’s sole responsibility. He stands as the victim of past failures as well as 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. Sadly, the biggest loser from this shortcoming is Sir Keir himself.