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Sir Keir Starmer visited north Wales on Thursday to announce the building of a fresh nuclear energy facility. This is a major policy announcement with both local and national implications. However, the prime minister did not devote much time in Wales to advocating answers for the UK's power requirements. Instead, he used the time attempting to put an end to the Labour leadership briefing row, informing journalists that No 10 had not undermined the health secretary's goals earlier this week.

As such, Sir Keir’s day served as a microcosm of what his prime ministership has evolved into more generally. Firstly, he wants his government to be doing, and to be seen to be doing, important things. On the other hand, he is incapable to achieve this because of the manner he – and, to an extent, the country more generally – now practices politics and government.

Sir Keir cannot transform the political culture single-handedly, but he is able to take action about his personal involvement in it. The simple truth is that he could manage the centre of government far better than he currently does. If he did this, he might find that the country was in less despair about his government than it is, and that he was getting his messages across more effectively.

Personnel Problems in No 10

Some of the issues in Number 10 are about individuals. The interpersonal relations of any No 10 regime are hard to know accurately from the exterior. Yet it appears clear that Sir Keir does not make sound staffing decisions, or stick with them. Maybe he is overly occupied. Perhaps he is not really interested. However, he must to up his game, not do things slowly or by halves.

• He dithered about giving the key job of cabinet secretary to a senior official.
• He made Sue Gray his chief of staff, then substituted her with a political strategist.
• He brought Darren Jones in from the Treasury as his chief secretary.
• His communications chiefs have been frequently replaced.
• Political and policy advisers have come and gone.
• It is a mess.

Systemic Issues at the Core of the Administration

Every prime minister devote excessive time abroad and on foreign affairs, areas where Sir Keir ought to assign more tasks, and too little talking to parliamentarians and listening to the citizens. Prime ministers also spend too much time engaging with the press, which Sir Keir compounds by performing inadequately. But premiers cannot claim to be surprised when their political appointees, who tend to be party activists or ambitious in politics, overstep boundaries or become the focus, as Mr McSweeney now has.

The most significant problems, however, are systemic. It would be beneficial to believe that Sir Keir reviewed the Institute for Government’s spring 2024 study on overhauling the government's central operations. His inability to grip these issues last July or afterward suggests he did not. The often abject performance of Labour’s time in office suggests recommendations like reorganizing the functions of the central government office and Downing Street, and dividing the jobs of top official and civil service head, are now urgent.

The dominant political role of prime ministers far outdistances the assistance provided to them. As a result, all aspects suffer, and much is done badly or neglected.

This is not Sir Keir’s sole responsibility. He is the casualty of previous shortcomings along with the architect of present ones. Yet individuals who expected Sir Keir would take control of the core and prioritize governmental structures have been let down. Sadly, the primary casualty from this shortcoming is Sir Keir personally.