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Prime Minister Starmer visited Wales' northern region on Thursday to declare the development of a fresh nuclear energy facility. This is a significant policy event with both local and national implications. However, the prime minister did not devote much time in Wales to advocating answers for the UK's power requirements. Rather, he spent it attempting to draw a line under the Labour leadership briefing row, informing journalists that No 10 had not briefed against the health secretary’s ambitions in recent days.

As such, Sir Keir’s day served as a small-scale example of what his prime ministership has now become more generally. Firstly, he wants his government to be performing, and to be seen to be doing, significant actions. Conversely, he is unable to achieve this because of the manner he – and, partly, the nation as a whole – now practices political and governmental affairs.

Sir Keir is unable to transform the political culture on his own, but he is able to take action 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 nation was in less despair about his government than it currently is, and that he was communicating his points more effectively.

Staffing Issues in Downing Street

Some of the issues in Downing Street are about individuals. The personal dynamics of any No 10 regime are difficult to discern accurately from the exterior. Yet it appears clear that Sir Keir does not make sound staffing decisions, or maintain them. Perhaps he is too busy. Perhaps he is not really interested. But he needs to improve his performance, not do things slowly or incompletely.

• He dithered about assigning the key job of cabinet secretary to a senior official.
• He appointed Sue Gray his chief of staff, then substituted her with Morgan McSweeney.
• He brought a Treasury figure in from the Treasury as his chief secretary.
• His communications chiefs have chopped and changed.
• Political and policy advisers have come and gone.
• The situation is chaotic.

Structural Challenges at the Heart of Government

All premiers devote excessive time abroad and on international matters, areas where Sir Keir ought to assign more tasks, and insufficient time talking to parliamentarians and listening to the citizens. Premiers also allocate too much time doing media, which Sir Keir worsens by doing it poorly. But premiers cannot claim to be surprised when their politically appointed staff, who are often party activists or politically ambitious, overstep boundaries or become the focus, as the chief of staff now has.

The most significant problems, though, are systemic. It would be good to think that Sir Keir reviewed the Institute for Government’s spring 2024 report on overhauling the government's central operations. His failure to grip these issues last July or afterward implies he did not. The frequently dismal experience of Labour’s time in office suggests IfG proposals like restructuring the roles of the central government office and Downing Street, and dividing the positions of top official and head of the civil service, are currently critical.

The political pre-eminence of PMs far outdistances the assistance provided 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 victim of previous shortcomings as well as the author of current mistakes. But those who hoped Sir Keir would take control of the centre and prioritize governmental structures have been let down. Sadly, the primary casualty from this failure is Sir Keir himself.