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Prime Minister Starmer traveled to Wales' northern region on Thursday to declare the building of a fresh nuclear energy facility. This represents a major policy announcement with implications at local and countrywide levels. Yet, the prime minister did not dedicate much time in Wales to advocating answers for the UK's energy needs. Instead, he spent it attempting to draw a line under the briefing controversy within Labour's leadership, telling reporters that No 10 had not briefed against the health secretary’s ambitions in recent days.

Therefore, Sir Keir’s day acted as a small-scale example of what his premiership has now become more generally. Firstly, he wants his administration to be performing, and to be seen to be doing, significant actions. Conversely, he is incapable to achieve this due to the way he – and, partly, the nation as a whole – now practices political and governmental affairs.

Sir Keir is unable to 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 far better than he currently does. If he did this, he could discover that the nation was in less despair about his administration than it currently is, and that he was communicating his points more successfully.

Staffing Issues in Downing Street

Some of the issues in Downing Street relate to individuals. 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 good personnel choices, or maintain them. Perhaps he is too busy. Possibly he lacks genuine interest. However, he must to improve his performance, not do things slowly or by halves.

• He hesitated about assigning the key job of cabinet secretary to a senior official.
• He made a former official his top aide, then replaced her with Morgan McSweeney.
• He recruited Darren Jones in from the finance ministry as his chief secretary.
• His media advisors have been frequently replaced.
• Advisors on politics and policy have come and gone.
• The situation is chaotic.

Systemic Issues at the Core of Government

All premiers spend too much time overseas and on international matters, where Sir Keir should delegate more, and insufficient time conversing with parliamentarians and listening to the public. Premiers also allocate too much time doing media, which Sir Keir worsens by performing inadequately. Yet leaders cannot express surprise when their political appointees, who are often party loyalists or ambitious in politics, cross lines or become the focus, as Mr McSweeney now has.

The biggest issues, however, are structural. It would be beneficial to think that Sir Keir read the Institute for Government’s spring 2024 report on overhauling the government's central operations. His failure to address these matters last July or since suggests he did not. The frequently dismal performance of Labour’s time in office suggests IfG proposals like reorganizing the roles of the Cabinet Office and No 10, and separating the positions of top official and civil service head, are currently critical.

The political pre-eminence of prime ministers far outdistances the support available to them. As a result, everything currently suffers, and much is done badly or ignored.

This is not Sir Keir’s fault alone. He stands as the casualty of past failures along with the author of current mistakes. But those who hoped Sir Keir might get a grip on the core and take the machinery of government seriously have been disappointed. Sadly, the biggest loser from this shortcoming is Sir Keir personally.