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Prime Minister Starmer traveled to north Wales on Thursday to announce the building of a new nuclear power station. This is a major policy announcement with implications at local and countrywide levels. Yet, the prime minister did not devote extensive time in Wales to advocating answers for the UK's energy needs. Instead, he used the time trying to put an end to the Labour leadership briefing row, informing journalists that Downing Street had not undermined the health secretary's goals in recent days.

Therefore, Sir Keir’s day acted as a small-scale example of what his prime ministership has evolved into more generally. On the one hand, he desires his administration to be doing, and to be perceived as performing, important things. Conversely, he is incapable to achieve this because of the way he – and, to an extent, the country as a whole – now conducts political and governmental affairs.

The Prime Minister cannot change the political culture single-handedly, but he is able to take action about his own role in it. The simple truth is that he could manage the government's core much more effectively than he does. If he did this, he could discover that the country was in less dismay about his administration than it currently is, and that he was communicating his points more effectively.

Staffing Issues in No 10

Some of the issues in Downing Street are about personnel. The interpersonal relations of every Downing Street operation are hard to know well from outside. But it seems obvious that Sir Keir does not make sound staffing decisions, or stick with them. Perhaps he is too busy. Possibly he lacks genuine interest. But he needs to up his game, not do things slowly or incompletely.

• He dithered about assigning the crucial role of top civil servant to a senior official.
• He made a former official 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 been frequently replaced.
• Advisors on politics and policy have entered and exited.
• The situation is chaotic.

Systemic Issues at the Core of the Administration

Every prime minister devote excessive time overseas and on foreign affairs, areas where Sir Keir ought to assign more tasks, and insufficient time conversing with parliamentarians and hearing the public. Premiers also allocate too much time doing media, which Sir Keir worsens by doing it poorly. But premiers cannot claim to be surprised when their politically appointed staff, who are often party loyalists or ambitious in politics, cross lines or become the focus, as Mr McSweeney has recently.

The most significant problems, though, are systemic. It would be good to believe that Sir Keir reviewed the a think tank's March 2024 study on reforming the centre of government. His inability to grip these issues in the summer or since implies he did not. The often abject 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 political pre-eminence of PMs greatly exceeds the support available to them. As a result, 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 along with the architect of present ones. But those who hoped Sir Keir would take control of the core and prioritize governmental structures have been disappointed. Sadly, the biggest loser from this shortcoming is Sir Keir personally.