🔗 Share this article

Prime Minister Starmer visited north Wales on Thursday to announce the building of a fresh nuclear energy facility. This is a major policy announcement with both local and national implications. However, the prime minister did not dedicate much time in Wales to advocating solutions for the UK's power requirements. 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 earlier this week.

As such, Sir Keir’s day served as a small-scale example of what his prime ministership has now become overall. On the one hand, he wants his administration to be doing, and to be seen to be doing, important things. On the other hand, he is incapable to achieve this due to the manner he – and, partly, the nation as a whole – now conducts politics and government.

The Prime Minister is unable to change the political culture single-handedly, but he is able to take action about his personal involvement in it. The simple truth is that he could manage the centre of government far better than he does. Should he achieve this, he might find that the nation was in less despair about his administration than it is, and that he was communicating his points more successfully.

Staffing Issues in No 10

A number of the problems in Downing Street relate to personnel. 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 maintain them. Maybe he is overly occupied. Perhaps he is not really interested. However, he must to up his game, avoid slow progress or incompletely.

• He hesitated about assigning the crucial role of cabinet secretary 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 finance ministry as his chief secretary.
• His media advisors have chopped and changed.
• Political and policy advisers have entered and exited.
• It is a mess.

Structural Challenges at the Heart of the Administration

Every prime minister spend too much time overseas and on international matters, where Sir Keir should delegate more, and insufficient time talking to MPs and listening to the citizens. Premiers also spend too much time doing media, which Sir Keir compounds by performing inadequately. But premiers cannot claim to be surprised when their politically appointed staff, who tend to be party loyalists or politically ambitious, cross lines or become the story, as Mr McSweeney now has.

The biggest issues, however, are structural. It would be beneficial to think that Sir Keir read the Institute for Government’s March 2024 study on reforming the centre of government. His failure to address these matters in the summer or afterward implies he did not. The frequently dismal performance of Labour’s time in office suggests recommendations like restructuring the functions of the central government office and Downing Street, and separating the jobs of cabinet secretary and head of the civil service, are currently critical.

The political pre-eminence of PMs greatly exceeds the assistance provided to them. Consequently, all aspects suffer, and much is done badly or ignored.

This is not Sir Keir’s fault alone. He is the casualty of past failures as well as the architect of current mistakes. But those who hoped Sir Keir might get a grip on the centre and prioritize governmental structures have been disappointed. Unfortunately, the biggest loser from this failure is Sir Keir personally.