🔗 Share this article

Prime Minister Starmer visited Wales' northern region this past 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 solutions for the UK's power requirements. Instead, he spent it attempting to put an end to the Labour leadership briefing row, telling journalists that No 10 had not briefed against the health secretary's goals in recent days.

Therefore, Sir Keir’s day served as a small-scale example of what his premiership has now become overall. Firstly, he wants his government to be performing, and to be seen to be doing, important things. On the other hand, he is incapable to accomplish this because of the manner he – and, partly, the country more generally – now practices political and governmental affairs.

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

Personnel Problems in No 10

A number of the issues in Number 10 are about individuals. The interpersonal relations of every Downing Street operation are hard to know accurately from the exterior. But it seems obvious that Sir Keir fails to make good personnel choices, or maintain them. Perhaps he is too busy. Possibly he lacks genuine interest. But he needs to improve his performance, not do things slowly or incompletely.

• He dithered about assigning the crucial role of cabinet secretary to Chris Wormald.
• He made a former official his top aide, then substituted her with Morgan McSweeney.
• He recruited Darren Jones in from the finance ministry 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 Core of the Administration

Every prime minister spend too much time abroad and on international matters, areas where Sir Keir ought to assign more tasks, and too little conversing with MPs and hearing the citizens. Prime ministers also spend too much time doing media, which Sir Keir worsens by performing inadequately. Yet leaders cannot claim to be surprised when their political appointees, who tend to be party loyalists or ambitious in politics, cross lines or become the focus, as the chief of staff now has.

The most significant problems, though, are systemic. It would be beneficial to think that Sir Keir read the Institute for Government’s March 2024 report on overhauling the centre of government. His inability to grip these issues last July or since suggests he did not. The often abject experience of the Labour administration indicates IfG proposals like restructuring the functions of the central government office and Downing Street, and dividing the jobs of cabinet secretary and head of the civil service, are now urgent.

The political pre-eminence of PMs greatly exceeds the assistance provided to them. As a result, everything currently suffers, and many tasks are poorly executed or ignored.

This isn't Sir Keir’s fault alone. He is the victim of past failures along with 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 primary casualty from this shortcoming is Sir Keir personally.