🔗 Share this article

Prime Minister Starmer visited north Wales on Thursday to declare the development of a fresh nuclear energy facility. This is a significant policy event with both local and national implications. However, the prime minister did not dedicate extensive time in Wales to promoting answers for the UK's energy needs. Instead, he used the time attempting to draw a line under the briefing controversy within Labour's leadership, telling journalists that No 10 had not briefed against the health secretary's goals in recent days.

As such, Sir Keir’s day acted as a microcosm of what his premiership has now become overall. Firstly, he desires his government to be doing, and to be seen to be doing, significant actions. On the other hand, he is unable to achieve this due to the way he – and, partly, the country more generally – now practices politics and government.

The Prime Minister is unable to change the culture of politics single-handedly, but he can do something about his personal involvement in it. The simple truth is that he could manage the government's core far better than he currently does. Should he achieve this, he could discover that the country was in less dismay about his government than it is, and that he was communicating his points more effectively.

Personnel Problems in No 10

A number of the issues in Number 10 relate to individuals. The interpersonal relations of every Downing Street operation are difficult to discern well from outside. Yet it appears clear that Sir Keir does not make good personnel choices, or maintain them. Maybe he is overly occupied. Perhaps he is not really interested. But he needs to up his game, not do things slowly or by halves.

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

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 too little conversing with MPs and listening to the public. Premiers also allocate too much time doing media, which Sir Keir worsens by performing inadequately. But premiers cannot express surprise when their political appointees, who are often party loyalists or politically ambitious, cross lines or become the focus, as Mr McSweeney has recently.

The biggest issues, though, are structural. It would be beneficial to think that Sir Keir reviewed the a think tank's spring 2024 study on reforming the government's central operations. His inability to grip these issues in the summer or since implies he did not. The frequently dismal performance of Labour’s time in office indicates IfG proposals like reorganizing the roles of the central government office and Downing Street, and separating the jobs of top official and civil service head, are currently critical.

The political pre-eminence of prime ministers greatly exceeds the assistance provided to them. Consequently, all aspects suffer, and many tasks are poorly executed or ignored.

This is not Sir Keir’s fault alone. He is the victim of previous shortcomings as well as the architect of current mistakes. But those who hoped Sir Keir would take control of the core and take the machinery of government seriously have been let down. Sadly, the biggest loser from this shortcoming is Sir Keir personally.