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Sir Keir Starmer visited Wales' northern region on Thursday to reveal the construction of a new nuclear power station. This is a major policy announcement with both local and national implications. Yet, the PM did not devote extensive time in Wales to advocating answers for the UK's energy needs. Instead, he spent it trying to draw a line under the briefing controversy within Labour's leadership, informing reporters that Downing Street had not undermined 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. On the one hand, he wants his government to be performing, and to be perceived as performing, significant actions. On the other hand, he is unable to accomplish this due to the way he – and, partly, the country as a whole – now practices political and governmental affairs.

The Prime Minister is unable to transform the culture of politics single-handedly, but he is able to take action about his personal involvement in it. The simple truth is that he could manage the government's core far better than he does. Should he achieve this, he might find that the nation was in less despair about his administration than it is, and that he was communicating his points more effectively.

Staffing Issues in Downing Street

Some of the problems in Downing Street are about personnel. The personal dynamics of every Downing Street operation are hard to know accurately from the exterior. But it seems obvious that Sir Keir does not make sound staffing decisions, or maintain them. Maybe he is overly occupied. Perhaps he is not really interested. However, he must to improve his performance, not do things slowly or by halves.

• He hesitated about assigning the crucial role of cabinet secretary to a senior official.
• He appointed Sue Gray his top aide, then substituted her with Morgan McSweeney.
• He brought Darren Jones in from the finance ministry as his chief secretary.
• His communications chiefs have been frequently replaced.
• Political and policy advisers have come and gone.
• The situation is chaotic.

Structural Challenges at the Core of the Administration

All premiers 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. Premiers also allocate too much time doing media, which Sir Keir worsens by performing inadequately. Yet leaders cannot claim to be surprised when their politically appointed staff, who are often party activists or ambitious in politics, cross lines or become the focus, as Mr McSweeney now has.

The biggest issues, though, are systemic. It would be beneficial to think that Sir Keir read the a think tank's spring 2024 study on reforming the government's central operations. His failure to address these matters in the summer or afterward suggests he did not. The often abject experience of Labour’s time in office indicates IfG proposals like reorganizing the roles of the Cabinet Office and No 10, and separating the jobs of cabinet secretary and head of the civil service, are now urgent.

The political pre-eminence of PMs far outdistances the assistance provided to them. Consequently, all aspects suffer, and many tasks are poorly executed or neglected.

This is not Sir Keir’s fault alone. He stands as 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 prioritize governmental structures have been let down. Sadly, the primary casualty from this failure is Sir Keir himself.