🔗 Share this article

Sir Keir Starmer traveled to north Wales this past Thursday to declare the development of a new nuclear power station. This is a major policy announcement with implications at local and countrywide levels. However, the prime minister did not devote much time in Wales to promoting solutions for the UK's power requirements. Rather, he spent it trying to put an end to the Labour leadership briefing row, telling journalists that No 10 had not undermined the health secretary's goals in recent days.

Therefore, Sir Keir’s day served as a microcosm of what his premiership has now become overall. On the one hand, he desires his administration to be performing, and to be perceived as performing, significant actions. On the other hand, he is unable to achieve this because of the way he – and, partly, the country more generally – now conducts politics and government.

The Prime Minister cannot transform the culture of politics single-handedly, but he can do something about his own role in it. The simple truth is that he could manage the centre of government far better than he currently does. If he did this, he could discover that the nation was in less dismay about his government than it currently is, and that he was communicating his points more successfully.

Staffing Issues in Downing Street

A number of the problems in Downing Street relate to personnel. The interpersonal relations of any No 10 regime are difficult to discern well from outside. But it seems obvious that Sir Keir does not make good personnel choices, or maintain them. Perhaps he is too busy. Possibly he lacks genuine interest. However, he must to up his game, avoid slow progress or incompletely.

• He hesitated about assigning the key job of cabinet secretary to Chris Wormald.
• He made a former official his chief of staff, then substituted her with a political strategist.
• He recruited Darren Jones in from the Treasury as his deputy.
• His communications chiefs have been frequently replaced.
• Political and policy advisers have come and gone.
• It is a mess.

Structural Challenges at the Core of the Administration

Every prime minister spend too much time abroad and on foreign affairs, areas where Sir Keir ought to assign more tasks, and too little conversing with MPs and listening to the citizens. Prime ministers also spend too much time engaging with the press, which Sir Keir compounds by performing inadequately. But premiers cannot express surprise when their politically appointed staff, who are often party loyalists 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 believe that Sir Keir read the Institute for Government’s March 2024 report on reforming the government's central operations. His failure to grip these issues last July or afterward implies he did not. The frequently dismal performance of Labour’s time in office indicates recommendations like reorganizing the functions of the Cabinet Office and Downing Street, and dividing the positions of top official and head of the civil service, are currently critical.

The political pre-eminence of PMs greatly exceeds the assistance provided to them. As a result, all aspects suffer, and many tasks are poorly executed or neglected.

This is not Sir Keir’s fault alone. He is the victim of past failures as well as the architect of present ones. But those who hoped Sir Keir would take control of the centre and prioritize governmental structures have been disappointed. Unfortunately, the biggest loser from this failure is Sir Keir himself.