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Sir Keir Starmer visited 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 promoting solutions for the UK's power requirements. Rather, he spent it trying to draw a line under the Labour leadership briefing row, informing reporters that No 10 had not undermined the health secretary’s ambitions earlier this week.

Therefore, Sir Keir’s day acted as a small-scale example of what his premiership has evolved into more generally. On the one hand, he desires his administration to be performing, and to be perceived as performing, important things. On the other hand, he is incapable to achieve this because of the manner he – and, partly, the country as a whole – now conducts political and governmental affairs.

Sir Keir cannot change the culture of politics on his own, but he is able to do something about his own role in it. The simple truth is that he could run the government's core far better than he does. If he did this, he might find that the country was in less despair about his government than it is, and that he was getting his messages across more effectively.

Staffing Issues in No 10

Some of the problems in Downing Street are about individuals. The interpersonal relations of any No 10 regime are difficult to discern accurately from the exterior. But it seems obvious that Sir Keir does not make good personnel choices, or stick with them. Perhaps he is too busy. Possibly he lacks genuine interest. But he needs to up his game, avoid slow progress or incompletely.

• He hesitated about giving the crucial role of cabinet secretary to a senior official.
• He appointed a former official his chief of staff, then replaced her with Morgan McSweeney.
• He brought a Treasury figure in from the finance ministry as his chief secretary.
• His communications chiefs have chopped and changed.
• Advisors on politics and policy have come and gone.
• It is a mess.

Systemic Issues at the Core of Government

All premiers devote excessive time overseas and on international matters, areas where Sir Keir ought to assign more tasks, and too little conversing with parliamentarians and listening to the citizens. Premiers also spend too much time doing media, which Sir Keir compounds by performing inadequately. But premiers cannot express surprise when their political appointees, who tend to be party activists or ambitious in politics, overstep boundaries or become the story, as Mr McSweeney now has.

The biggest issues, though, are structural. It would be beneficial to believe that Sir Keir reviewed the Institute for Government’s spring 2024 study on overhauling the government's central operations. His inability to grip these issues in the summer or afterward implies he did not. The frequently dismal performance of the Labour administration indicates recommendations like reorganizing the roles of the central government office and No 10, and separating the jobs of cabinet secretary and civil service head, are now urgent.

The dominant political role of PMs far outdistances the support available to them. As a result, all aspects suffer, and many tasks are poorly executed or ignored.

This isn't Sir Keir’s sole responsibility. He is the casualty of past failures along with the author of current mistakes. But those who hoped Sir Keir would take control of the core and prioritize governmental structures have been disappointed. Sadly, the biggest loser from this shortcoming is Sir Keir himself.