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Sir Keir Starmer visited north Wales on Thursday to reveal the building of a new nuclear power station. This is a major policy announcement with implications at local and countrywide levels. However, the PM did not dedicate much time in Wales to advocating answers for the UK's energy needs. Rather, he used the time trying to put an end to the Labour leadership briefing row, informing reporters that No 10 had not briefed against the health secretary's goals earlier this week.

Therefore, Sir Keir’s day served as a small-scale example of what his premiership has now become more generally. Firstly, he wants his administration to be doing, and to be perceived as performing, significant actions. On the other hand, he is unable to accomplish this because of the way he – and, to an extent, the nation more generally – now practices politics and government.

Sir Keir is unable to transform the culture of politics single-handedly, but he is able to take action about his personal involvement in it. The simple truth is that he could run the centre of government far better than he does. Should he achieve this, he might find that the country was in less dismay about his government than it currently is, and that he was communicating his points more successfully.

Staffing Issues in Downing Street

A number of the issues in Number 10 are about individuals. The interpersonal relations of every Downing Street operation are difficult to discern well from outside. But it seems obvious that Sir Keir fails to make sound staffing decisions, or stick with them. Maybe he is overly occupied. 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 substituted her with Morgan McSweeney.
• He recruited Darren Jones in from the finance ministry as his deputy.
• His media advisors have been frequently replaced.
• Political and policy advisers have come and gone.
• It is a mess.

Systemic Issues at the Core of Government

Every prime minister spend too much time abroad and on international matters, where Sir Keir should delegate more, and too little talking to parliamentarians and hearing the citizens. Premiers also allocate too much time engaging with the press, which Sir Keir compounds by doing it poorly. But premiers cannot express surprise when their politically appointed staff, who tend to be party loyalists or politically ambitious, cross lines or become the focus, as Mr McSweeney has recently.

The most significant problems, however, are systemic. It would be beneficial to believe that Sir Keir reviewed the a think tank's March 2024 report on overhauling the government's central operations. His failure to address these matters in the summer or since suggests he did not. The often abject performance of Labour’s time in office suggests IfG proposals like restructuring the functions of the central government office and No 10, and dividing the positions of cabinet secretary and civil service head, are now urgent.

The political pre-eminence of PMs far outdistances the assistance provided to them. Consequently, everything currently suffers, and much is done badly or ignored.

This isn't Sir Keir’s sole responsibility. He is the victim of previous shortcomings as well as the architect of present ones. But those who hoped Sir Keir might get a grip on the core and take the machinery of government seriously have been disappointed. Unfortunately, the biggest loser from this failure is Sir Keir himself.