🔗 Share this article

Prime Minister Starmer visited north Wales on Thursday to reveal the construction of a fresh nuclear energy facility. This represents a major policy announcement with both local and national implications. Yet, the PM did not devote extensive time in Wales to advocating solutions for the UK's energy needs. Instead, he used the time trying to put an end to the Labour leadership briefing row, informing journalists that No 10 had not undermined the health secretary's goals earlier this week.

Therefore, Sir Keir’s day acted as a microcosm of what his prime ministership has evolved into overall. On the one hand, he desires his administration to be doing, and to be perceived as performing, important things. On the other hand, he is unable to accomplish this due to the way he – and, to an extent, the nation more generally – now conducts politics and government.

Sir Keir cannot transform the culture of politics on his own, but he can do something about his personal involvement in it. The plain fact is that he could manage the centre of government far better than he does. If he did this, he could discover that the country was in less despair about his government than it currently is, and that he was getting his messages across more successfully.

Staffing Issues in Downing Street

Some of the problems in Number 10 relate to individuals. The personal dynamics of every Downing Street operation are difficult to discern well from outside. Yet it appears clear that Sir Keir does not make sound staffing decisions, or maintain them. Maybe he is overly occupied. Perhaps he is not really interested. However, he must to improve his performance, not do things slowly or by halves.

• He dithered about assigning the crucial role of cabinet secretary to a senior official.
• He made a former official his top aide, then replaced her with a political strategist.
• He brought Darren Jones in from the Treasury as his chief secretary.
• His media advisors have been frequently replaced.
• Political and policy advisers have entered and exited.
• It is a mess.

Structural Challenges at the Heart of Government

All premiers spend too much time overseas and on foreign affairs, where Sir Keir should delegate more, and insufficient time talking to MPs and hearing the public. Premiers also allocate too much time engaging with the press, which Sir Keir compounds by performing inadequately. But premiers cannot claim to be surprised when their politically appointed staff, who are often party activists or ambitious in politics, cross lines or become the focus, as Mr McSweeney now has.

The biggest issues, however, are systemic. It would be good to think that Sir Keir reviewed the Institute for Government’s spring 2024 study on reforming the centre of government. His failure to grip these issues in the summer or since suggests he did not. The often abject performance of the Labour administration indicates IfG proposals like reorganizing the functions of the central government office and No 10, and dividing the positions of cabinet secretary and head of the civil service, are currently critical.

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

This is not Sir Keir’s fault alone. He stands as the casualty of previous shortcomings as well as the architect of current mistakes. But those who hoped Sir Keir would take control of the core and prioritize governmental structures have been disappointed. Unfortunately, the primary casualty from this shortcoming is Sir Keir personally.