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Prime Minister Starmer traveled to north Wales on Thursday to reveal the construction of a new nuclear power station. This represents a major policy announcement with implications at local and countrywide levels. Yet, the prime minister did not devote much time in Wales to advocating answers for the UK's power requirements. Instead, he used the time trying to draw a line under the Labour leadership briefing row, informing journalists that Downing Street had not undermined the health secretary's goals earlier this week.

Therefore, Sir Keir’s day served as a small-scale example of what his premiership has evolved into overall. Firstly, he desires his administration to be performing, and to be perceived as performing, important things. Conversely, he is incapable to accomplish this due to the manner he – and, to an extent, the country as a whole – now conducts political and governmental affairs.

Sir Keir cannot change the culture of politics on his own, but he can take action about his personal involvement in it. The plain fact is that he could manage the centre of government far better than he does. Should he achieve this, he could discover 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 Downing Street are about individuals. The interpersonal relations of every Downing Street operation are hard to know accurately from the exterior. Yet it appears clear that Sir Keir fails to make good personnel choices, or maintain them. Maybe he is overly occupied. Possibly he lacks genuine interest. However, he must to improve his performance, not do things slowly or by halves.

• He dithered about assigning the crucial role of top civil servant to a senior official.
• He appointed a former official his chief of staff, then replaced her with a political strategist.
• He recruited a Treasury figure in from the Treasury as his chief secretary.
• His communications chiefs have been frequently replaced.
• Political and policy advisers have entered and exited.
• The situation is chaotic.

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 insufficient time talking to MPs and hearing the public. Premiers also spend too much time doing media, which Sir Keir worsens by doing it poorly. Yet leaders cannot express surprise 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 most significant problems, though, are systemic. It would be good to believe that Sir Keir reviewed the Institute for Government’s March 2024 report on reforming the centre of government. His failure to address these matters in the summer or afterward suggests he did not. The frequently dismal performance of the Labour administration indicates recommendations like restructuring the roles of the central government office and Downing Street, and separating the jobs of top official and civil service head, are currently critical.

The political pre-eminence of prime ministers far outdistances the assistance provided to them. Consequently, everything currently suffers, and much is done badly or neglected.

This isn't Sir Keir’s sole responsibility. He is the casualty of previous shortcomings along with the author of current mistakes. Yet individuals who expected Sir Keir might get a grip on the centre and take the machinery of government seriously have been disappointed. Unfortunately, the primary casualty from this failure is Sir Keir himself.