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Prime Minister Starmer traveled to north Wales on Thursday to reveal the construction of a fresh nuclear energy facility. This represents 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. Rather, he spent it attempting to draw a line under the briefing controversy within Labour's leadership, informing reporters that Downing Street had not briefed against the health secretary's goals earlier this week.

Therefore, Sir Keir’s day acted as a microcosm of what his premiership has now become more generally. Firstly, he desires his government to be performing, and to be seen to be doing, important things. On the other hand, he is unable to accomplish this because of the manner he – and, partly, the country as a whole – now conducts 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 run the government's core much more effectively than he currently does. If he did this, he might find that the country was in less dismay about his government than it is, and that he was communicating his points more successfully.

Personnel Problems in No 10

A number of the issues in Downing Street relate to individuals. The interpersonal relations of every Downing Street operation 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. Perhaps he is not really interested. However, he must to improve his performance, avoid slow progress or by halves.

• He hesitated about giving the key job of top civil servant to Chris Wormald.
• He made Sue Gray his chief of staff, then substituted her with Morgan McSweeney.
• He brought a Treasury figure in from the finance ministry as his deputy.
• His media advisors have been frequently replaced.
• Political and policy advisers have entered and exited.
• The situation is chaotic.

Systemic Issues at the Core of the Administration

All premiers devote excessive time abroad and on foreign affairs, where Sir Keir should delegate more, and insufficient time talking to parliamentarians and listening to the public. Prime ministers also allocate too much time engaging with the press, which Sir Keir worsens by performing inadequately. But premiers cannot express surprise when their politically appointed staff, who are often party loyalists or politically ambitious, cross lines or become the focus, as Mr McSweeney has recently.

The biggest issues, however, are structural. It would be beneficial to believe that Sir Keir reviewed the Institute for Government’s March 2024 report on reforming the government's central operations. His inability to address these matters last July or afterward implies he did not. The often abject experience of Labour’s time in office indicates IfG proposals like reorganizing the functions of the central government office and No 10, and separating the jobs of top official and civil service head, are now urgent.

The dominant political role of PMs far outdistances the support available to them. Consequently, all aspects suffer, and much is done badly or neglected.

This isn't Sir Keir’s sole responsibility. He stands as the victim 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. Unfortunately, the primary casualty from this failure is Sir Keir himself.