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Sir Keir Starmer traveled to Wales' northern region on Thursday to announce the development of a fresh nuclear energy facility. This represents a significant policy event with both local and national implications. Yet, the prime minister did not devote much time in Wales to promoting solutions for the UK's energy needs. Instead, he used the time attempting to put an end to the briefing controversy within Labour's leadership, informing reporters that No 10 had not briefed against the health secretary's goals in recent days.

As such, Sir Keir’s day acted as a small-scale example of what his prime ministership has now become overall. Firstly, he wants his administration to be doing, and to be perceived as performing, significant actions. Conversely, he is unable to achieve this because of the way he – and, partly, the country as a whole – now conducts politics and government.

Sir Keir cannot change the political culture on his own, but he is able to do something about his personal involvement in it. The simple truth is that he could manage the government's core much more effectively than he does. If he did this, he might find that the nation was in less despair about his government than it currently is, and that he was getting his messages across more effectively.

Staffing Issues in Downing Street

A number of the issues in Number 10 relate to individuals. The interpersonal relations of any No 10 regime are hard to know accurately from the exterior. But it seems obvious that Sir Keir fails to make good personnel choices, or maintain them. Maybe he is overly occupied. Possibly he lacks genuine interest. However, he must to up his game, avoid slow progress or incompletely.

• He dithered about giving the crucial role of top civil servant to Chris Wormald.
• He appointed Sue Gray his top aide, then substituted her with a political strategist.
• He recruited a Treasury figure in from the finance ministry as his deputy.
• His communications chiefs have chopped and changed.
• Advisors on politics and policy have come and gone.
• The situation is chaotic.

Systemic Issues at the Core of the Administration

All premiers devote excessive time overseas and on international matters, where Sir Keir should delegate more, and insufficient time conversing with parliamentarians and listening to the citizens. Premiers also allocate too much time doing media, which Sir Keir worsens by performing inadequately. Yet leaders cannot express surprise when their politically appointed staff, who are often party activists or ambitious in politics, overstep boundaries or become the focus, as Mr McSweeney now has.

The biggest issues, however, are structural. It would be good to think that Sir Keir read the a think tank's spring 2024 report on reforming the government's central operations. His failure to address these matters in the summer or afterward implies he did not. The often abject experience of Labour’s time in office suggests recommendations like restructuring the roles of the Cabinet Office and No 10, and dividing the jobs of top official and civil service head, are now urgent.

The political pre-eminence of prime ministers greatly exceeds the assistance provided to them. Consequently, everything currently suffers, and many tasks are poorly executed or neglected.

This is not Sir Keir’s sole responsibility. He is the casualty of previous shortcomings 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 let down. Sadly, the primary casualty from this failure is Sir Keir himself.