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Prime Minister Starmer visited north Wales on Thursday to declare the construction of a new nuclear power station. This is a significant policy event with both local and national implications. However, the prime minister did not devote much time in Wales to advocating solutions for the UK's energy needs. Rather, he used the time trying to put an end to the Labour leadership briefing row, telling reporters that Downing Street had not undermined the health secretary's goals earlier this week.

Therefore, Sir Keir’s day acted as a microcosm of what his prime ministership has now become more generally. On the one hand, he wants his administration to be performing, and to be perceived as performing, important things. Conversely, he is incapable to accomplish this due to the way he – and, to an extent, the country more generally – now conducts politics and government.

The Prime Minister is unable to transform the political culture single-handedly, but he can take action about his personal involvement in it. The simple truth is that he could run the government's core far better than he currently does. Should he achieve this, he might find that the country was in less despair about his administration than it is, and that he was getting his messages across more effectively.

Staffing Issues in Downing Street

Some of the problems in Downing Street are about personnel. The personal dynamics of every Downing Street operation are hard to know well from outside. Yet it appears clear that Sir Keir does not make good personnel choices, or stick with them. Perhaps he is too busy. Perhaps he is not really interested. However, he must to improve his performance, not do things slowly or by halves.

• He hesitated about assigning the crucial role of top civil servant to a senior official.
• He appointed Sue Gray his chief of staff, then substituted her with a political strategist.
• He recruited a Treasury figure in from the Treasury as his deputy.
• His media advisors have been frequently replaced.
• Political and policy advisers have come and gone.
• The situation is chaotic.

Systemic Issues at the Core of the Administration

Every prime minister devote excessive time overseas and on foreign affairs, where Sir Keir should delegate more, and too little talking to MPs and hearing the public. Prime ministers 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 tend to be party activists or politically ambitious, cross lines or become the focus, as the chief of staff has recently.

The most significant problems, however, are structural. It would be good to believe that Sir Keir reviewed the a think tank's spring 2024 report on overhauling the centre of government. His inability to address these matters last July or afterward suggests he did not. The frequently dismal experience of Labour’s time in office indicates IfG proposals like restructuring the functions of the Cabinet Office and No 10, and separating the jobs of top official and head of the civil service, are currently critical.

The dominant political role of PMs far outdistances the support available to them. Consequently, everything currently suffers, and many tasks are poorly executed or ignored.

This isn't Sir Keir’s fault alone. He stands as the casualty of previous shortcomings along with the author of current mistakes. Yet individuals who expected Sir Keir would take control of the centre and take the machinery of government seriously have been disappointed. Unfortunately, the biggest loser from this shortcoming is Sir Keir personally.