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Prime Minister Starmer traveled to Wales' northern region on Thursday to announce the development of a new nuclear power station. This represents a significant policy event with both local and national implications. However, the prime minister did not devote much time in Wales to advocating solutions for the UK's energy needs. Instead, he used the time trying to put an end to 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 premiership has now become more generally. On the one hand, he wants his government to be doing, and to be seen to be doing, significant actions. Conversely, he is incapable to accomplish this because of the manner he – and, to an extent, the nation as a whole – now practices politics and government.

The Prime Minister is unable to change the culture of politics single-handedly, but he can do something about his personal involvement in it. The simple truth is that he could run the government's core much more effectively than he does. If he did this, he might find that the country was in less despair about his administration than it is, and that he was getting his messages across more successfully.

Staffing Issues in Downing Street

Some of the problems in Downing Street are about personnel. The interpersonal relations of every Downing Street operation are difficult to discern accurately from the exterior. But it seems obvious 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 up his game, avoid slow progress or by halves.

• He hesitated about assigning the key job of cabinet secretary to a senior official.
• He made Sue Gray his chief of staff, then replaced her with a political strategist.
• He brought Darren Jones in from the finance ministry as his chief secretary.
• His media advisors have chopped and changed.
• Political and policy advisers have come and gone.
• It is a mess.

Structural Challenges at the Heart of the Administration

All premiers spend too much time overseas and on international matters, areas where Sir Keir ought to assign more tasks, and insufficient time talking to MPs and listening to the public. Premiers also spend too much time doing media, which Sir Keir compounds by performing inadequately. Yet leaders cannot express surprise when their politically appointed staff, who are often party loyalists or ambitious in politics, cross lines or become the story, as Mr McSweeney has recently.

The most significant problems, 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 address these matters last July or afterward suggests he did not. The frequently dismal performance of Labour’s time in office indicates recommendations like restructuring the functions of the central government office and Downing Street, and dividing the positions of cabinet secretary and head of the civil service, are now urgent.

The political pre-eminence of PMs far outdistances the support available to them. As a result, all aspects suffer, and many tasks are poorly executed or neglected.

This isn't Sir Keir’s sole responsibility. He stands as the casualty of past failures along with the architect of present ones. But those who hoped Sir Keir would take control of the core and take the machinery of government seriously have been let down. Unfortunately, the primary casualty from this shortcoming is Sir Keir personally.