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Prime Minister Starmer traveled to Wales' northern region on Thursday to reveal the construction of a fresh nuclear energy facility. This is a significant policy event with both local and national implications. However, the PM did not devote much time in Wales to advocating answers for the UK's energy needs. Rather, he spent it attempting to draw a line under the briefing controversy within Labour's leadership, telling reporters that Downing Street had not undermined the health secretary’s ambitions in recent days.

Therefore, Sir Keir’s day served as a microcosm of what his premiership has now become overall. Firstly, he desires his administration to be performing, and to be seen to be doing, important things. Conversely, he is incapable to accomplish this because of the way he – and, partly, the country as a whole – now conducts political and governmental affairs.

The Prime Minister cannot change the political culture on his own, but he can do something about his own role in it. The simple truth is that he could run the government's core much more effectively than he currently does. If he did this, he might find that the country was in less dismay about his government than it is, and that he was getting his messages across more successfully.

Personnel Problems in No 10

Some of the problems in Number 10 relate to individuals. The personal dynamics of every Downing Street operation are hard to know accurately from the exterior. Yet it appears clear that Sir Keir fails to make good personnel choices, or stick with them. Maybe he is overly occupied. Perhaps he is not really interested. But he needs to improve his performance, not do things slowly or by halves.

• He dithered about assigning the key job of top civil servant to a senior official.
• He appointed a former official his top aide, then replaced her with a political strategist.
• He recruited a Treasury figure in from the finance ministry as his deputy.
• His media advisors have chopped and changed.
• Political and policy advisers have entered and exited.
• The situation is chaotic.

Systemic Issues at the Heart of Government

All premiers spend too much time overseas and on international matters, areas where Sir Keir ought to assign more tasks, and too little talking to MPs and listening to the citizens. Prime ministers also spend too much time doing media, which Sir Keir worsens by performing inadequately. But premiers cannot claim to be surprised when their political appointees, who tend to be party activists or ambitious in politics, overstep boundaries or become the focus, as the chief of staff now has.

The most significant problems, however, are systemic. It would be beneficial to think that Sir Keir read the a think tank's spring 2024 report on overhauling the government's central operations. His inability to grip these issues last July or since suggests he did not. The frequently dismal performance of Labour’s time in office suggests IfG proposals like reorganizing the roles of the Cabinet Office and No 10, and separating the positions of top official and civil service head, are now urgent.

The dominant political role of PMs far outdistances the assistance provided to them. Consequently, 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 as well as the architect of present ones. Yet individuals who expected Sir Keir would take control of the core and prioritize governmental structures have been let down. Sadly, the primary casualty from this failure is Sir Keir personally.