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Sir Keir Starmer traveled to north Wales this past Thursday to declare the building of a fresh nuclear energy facility. This is a significant policy event with both local and national implications. Yet, the prime minister did not dedicate extensive time in Wales to promoting solutions for the UK's power requirements. Instead, he used the time attempting to draw a line under the Labour leadership briefing row, telling reporters that No 10 had not briefed against the health secretary's goals in recent days.

Therefore, Sir Keir’s day served as a microcosm of what his prime ministership has now become more generally. Firstly, he wants his administration to be performing, and to be perceived as performing, important things. Conversely, he is unable to achieve this because of the way he – and, to an extent, the nation as a whole – now practices political and governmental affairs.

The Prime Minister cannot change the political culture on his own, but he can do something 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 nation was in less despair about his government than it is, and that he was communicating his points more successfully.

Staffing Issues in No 10

Some of the issues in Downing Street are about personnel. The personal dynamics of any No 10 regime are hard to know well from outside. But it seems obvious that Sir Keir fails to make sound staffing decisions, or maintain them. Perhaps he is too busy. Possibly he lacks genuine interest. However, he must to improve his performance, avoid slow progress or by halves.

• He dithered about assigning the crucial role of top civil servant to Chris Wormald.
• He made a former official his top aide, then replaced her with Morgan McSweeney.
• He brought Darren Jones in from the finance ministry as his deputy.
• His communications chiefs have been frequently replaced.
• Political and policy advisers have entered and exited.
• It is a mess.

Structural Challenges at the Heart of the Administration

Every prime minister spend too much time overseas and on international matters, where Sir Keir should delegate more, and too little conversing with parliamentarians and hearing the public. Prime ministers also spend too much time doing media, which Sir Keir worsens by doing it poorly. But premiers cannot claim to be surprised when their political appointees, who are often party loyalists or politically ambitious, overstep boundaries or become the focus, as Mr McSweeney has recently.

The biggest issues, however, are systemic. It would be beneficial to believe that Sir Keir read the a think tank's spring 2024 report on reforming the centre of government. His failure to grip these issues last July or afterward implies he did not. The often abject performance of the Labour administration suggests recommendations like reorganizing the roles of the Cabinet Office and No 10, and dividing the jobs of cabinet secretary and civil service head, are now urgent.

The political pre-eminence of PMs far outdistances the support available to them. As a result, all aspects suffer, and much is done badly or ignored.

This isn't Sir Keir’s sole responsibility. He is the casualty of previous shortcomings along with the architect of current mistakes. But those who hoped Sir Keir might get a grip on the centre and take the machinery of government seriously have been disappointed. Unfortunately, the biggest loser from this failure is Sir Keir himself.