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Sir Keir Starmer visited north Wales on Thursday to reveal the building of a new nuclear power station. This represents a major policy announcement with both local and national implications. Yet, the PM did not dedicate extensive time in Wales to promoting solutions for the UK's power requirements. Rather, he used the time attempting to draw a line under the Labour leadership briefing row, telling reporters that No 10 had not undermined the health secretary's goals in recent days.

As such, 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 government to be doing, and to be seen to be doing, significant actions. On the other hand, he is incapable to achieve this due to the manner he – and, to an extent, 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 can take action about his own role in it. The plain fact is that he could manage the centre of government much more effectively than he currently does. Should he achieve this, he might find that the nation was in less dismay about his administration than it currently is, and that he was getting his messages across more effectively.

Personnel Problems in No 10

A number of the problems in Downing Street relate to personnel. The interpersonal relations of any No 10 regime are hard to know accurately from the exterior. But it seems obvious that Sir Keir fails to make sound staffing decisions, or stick with them. Perhaps he is too busy. Possibly he lacks genuine interest. However, he must to improve his performance, avoid slow progress or incompletely.

• He hesitated about assigning the key job of top civil servant to a senior official.
• He made Sue Gray his top aide, then substituted her with a political strategist.
• He brought Darren Jones in from the Treasury as his deputy.
• His communications chiefs have been frequently replaced.
• Advisors on politics and policy have come and gone.
• The situation is chaotic.

Systemic Issues at the Core of the Administration

All premiers spend too much time overseas and on foreign affairs, areas where Sir Keir ought to assign more tasks, and insufficient time talking to parliamentarians and listening to the public. Premiers also spend too much time engaging with the press, which Sir Keir worsens by performing inadequately. But premiers cannot claim to be surprised when their politically appointed staff, who tend to be party activists or politically ambitious, overstep boundaries or become the story, as Mr McSweeney has recently.

The biggest issues, however, are systemic. It would be beneficial to believe that Sir Keir reviewed the a think tank's spring 2024 report on overhauling the government's central operations. His failure to address these matters in the summer or since suggests he did not. The frequently dismal experience of the Labour administration suggests recommendations like reorganizing the roles of the central government office and No 10, and dividing the positions of cabinet secretary and civil service head, are currently critical.

The dominant political role of PMs greatly exceeds the support available to them. Consequently, all aspects suffer, and much is done badly or ignored.

This isn't Sir Keir’s sole responsibility. He is the victim of past failures as well as the architect of present ones. Yet individuals who expected Sir Keir would take control of the centre and take the machinery of government seriously have been disappointed. Sadly, the primary casualty from this failure is Sir Keir personally.