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Prime Minister Starmer traveled to Wales' northern region on Thursday to reveal the construction of a fresh nuclear energy facility. This is a significant policy event with both local and national implications. Yet, the prime minister did not devote extensive time in Wales to promoting answers for the UK's power requirements. Instead, he used the time attempting to draw a line under the briefing controversy within Labour's leadership, telling journalists that Downing Street had not briefed against the health secretary’s ambitions in recent days.

Therefore, Sir Keir’s day acted as a microcosm of what his premiership has evolved into more generally. Firstly, 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 because of the way he – and, to an extent, the country as a whole – now practices politics and government.

Sir Keir cannot transform the culture of politics on his own, but he can do something about his own role in it. The plain fact is that he could run 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 currently is, and that he was communicating his points more successfully.

Personnel Problems in No 10

Some of the problems in Downing Street relate to personnel. The personal dynamics of any No 10 regime are difficult to discern well from outside. But it seems obvious that Sir Keir does not make sound staffing decisions, or stick with them. Maybe he is overly occupied. Possibly he lacks genuine interest. But he needs to up his game, not do things slowly or incompletely.

• He dithered about giving the crucial role of top civil servant to a senior official.
• He made Sue Gray his chief of staff, then replaced her with Morgan McSweeney.
• He brought Darren Jones in from the Treasury as his deputy.
• His communications chiefs have chopped and changed.
• Political and policy advisers have come and gone.
• It is a mess.

Structural Challenges at the Heart of the Administration

All premiers spend too much time abroad and on international matters, areas where Sir Keir ought to assign more tasks, and insufficient time conversing with parliamentarians and hearing 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 political appointees, who are often party activists or politically ambitious, overstep boundaries or become the focus, as the chief of staff has recently.

The biggest issues, 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 failure to grip these issues in the summer or since suggests he did not. The frequently dismal performance of Labour’s time in office suggests IfG proposals like reorganizing the roles of the central government office and Downing Street, and dividing the jobs of top official and civil service head, are now urgent.

The political pre-eminence of prime ministers far outdistances 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 let down. Unfortunately, the primary casualty from this shortcoming is Sir Keir personally.