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Sir Keir Starmer traveled to Wales' northern region this past Thursday to reveal the building of a new nuclear power station. This represents a significant policy event with both local and national implications. Yet, the PM did not dedicate much time in Wales to advocating solutions for the UK's energy needs. Instead, he used the time attempting to put an end to the briefing controversy within Labour's leadership, informing journalists that No 10 had not briefed against the health secretary's goals in recent days.

As such, Sir Keir’s day served as a microcosm of what his premiership has evolved into overall. On the one hand, he wants his government to be performing, and to be seen to be doing, significant actions. On the other hand, he is incapable to accomplish this due to the way he – and, partly, the nation more generally – now conducts political and governmental affairs.

The Prime Minister is unable to transform the political culture on his own, but he can take action about his own role in it. The simple truth is that he could manage the centre of government far better than he currently does. Should he achieve this, he might find that the country was in less despair about his administration than it currently is, and that he was getting his messages across more successfully.

Personnel Problems in No 10

Some of the issues in Number 10 are about personnel. The personal dynamics of every Downing Street operation are difficult to discern well from outside. Yet it appears clear that Sir Keir does not make good personnel choices, or maintain them. Maybe he is overly occupied. 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 cabinet secretary to a senior official.
• He made a former official his top aide, then substituted her with Morgan McSweeney.
• He recruited Darren Jones in from the finance ministry as his chief secretary.
• His communications chiefs have chopped and changed.
• Political and policy advisers have come and gone.
• It is a mess.

Structural Challenges at the Heart of Government

All premiers devote excessive time overseas and on foreign affairs, where Sir Keir should delegate more, and insufficient time talking to MPs and listening to the citizens. Premiers also allocate too much time engaging with the press, which Sir Keir compounds by performing inadequately. But premiers cannot claim to be surprised when their political appointees, who tend to be party loyalists or politically ambitious, cross lines or become the story, as Mr McSweeney now has.

The biggest issues, though, are structural. It would be beneficial to think that Sir Keir reviewed the a think tank's spring 2024 study on reforming the centre of government. His inability to address these matters last July or afterward implies he did not. The frequently dismal performance of Labour’s time in office indicates IfG proposals like reorganizing the roles of the central government office and No 10, and separating the jobs of cabinet secretary and head of the civil service, are currently critical.

The political pre-eminence of PMs greatly exceeds the assistance provided to them. Consequently, all aspects suffer, and much is done badly or ignored.

This isn't Sir Keir’s sole responsibility. He is the victim of past failures along with the author of present ones. But those who hoped Sir Keir might get a grip on the centre and take the machinery of government seriously have been disappointed. Sadly, the biggest loser from this shortcoming is Sir Keir himself.