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Sir Keir Starmer traveled to Wales' northern region on Thursday to announce the building of a new nuclear power station. This represents a significant policy event with implications at local and countrywide levels. Yet, the prime minister did not devote much time in Wales to promoting answers for the UK's power requirements. Rather, he used the time trying to put an end to the briefing controversy within Labour's leadership, telling reporters that Downing Street had not briefed against the health secretary's goals earlier this week.

As such, Sir Keir’s day acted as a microcosm of what his prime ministership has now become more generally. Firstly, he wants his government to be performing, and to be perceived as performing, important things. Conversely, he is incapable to achieve this due to the manner he – and, to an extent, the country as a whole – now conducts politics and government.

Sir Keir cannot change the culture of politics on his own, but he is able to do something about his personal involvement in it. The simple truth is that he could run the government's core far better than he does. Should he achieve this, he could discover 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 Downing Street

A number of the issues in Downing Street relate to personnel. The personal dynamics of any No 10 regime are difficult to discern well from outside. But it seems obvious that Sir Keir fails to make sound staffing decisions, or maintain them. Maybe he is overly occupied. Possibly he lacks genuine interest. But he needs to up his game, avoid slow progress or by halves.

• He dithered about giving the key job of top civil servant to a senior official.
• He made a former official his chief of staff, then replaced her with Morgan McSweeney.
• He brought Darren Jones in from the Treasury as his deputy.
• His media advisors have chopped and changed.
• Advisors on politics and policy have come and gone.
• It is a mess.

Systemic Issues at the Core 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 parliamentarians and listening to the public. Prime ministers also spend too much time doing media, which Sir Keir compounds by performing inadequately. But premiers cannot express surprise when their political appointees, who are often party loyalists or ambitious in politics, cross lines or become the focus, as the chief of staff has recently.

The most significant problems, however, are systemic. It would be good to think that Sir Keir reviewed the a think tank's March 2024 report on reforming the government's central operations. His inability to grip these issues last July or since implies he did not. The frequently dismal performance of Labour’s time in office suggests recommendations like restructuring the roles of the central government office and No 10, and dividing the positions of top official and head of the civil service, are now urgent.

The political pre-eminence of prime ministers greatly exceeds 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 stands as 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 take the machinery of government seriously have been let down. Unfortunately, the biggest loser from this failure is Sir Keir personally.