🔗 Share this article

Prime Minister Starmer visited Wales' northern region on Thursday to announce the development of a new nuclear power station. This represents a major policy announcement with both local and national implications. However, the PM did not dedicate much time in Wales to advocating answers for the UK's power requirements. Instead, he spent it trying to draw a line under the Labour leadership briefing row, informing reporters that No 10 had not briefed against the health secretary’s ambitions earlier this week.

Therefore, Sir Keir’s day served as a microcosm of what his premiership has now become more generally. 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 achieve this due to the manner he – and, to an extent, the nation more generally – now practices politics and government.

The Prime Minister cannot transform the political culture single-handedly, but he can do something about his personal involvement in it. The simple truth is that he could manage the centre of government far better than he does. If he did this, he could discover that the nation was in less dismay about his government than it is, and that he was getting his messages across more successfully.

Staffing Issues in Downing Street

A number of the problems in Number 10 are about personnel. 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 sound staffing decisions, or stick with them. Maybe he is overly occupied. Perhaps he is not really interested. However, he must to up his game, not do things slowly or incompletely.

• He dithered about giving the crucial role of cabinet secretary to Chris Wormald.
• He appointed a former official his top aide, then substituted her with Morgan McSweeney.
• He recruited a Treasury figure in from the finance ministry as his deputy.
• His communications chiefs have been frequently replaced.
• Advisors on politics and policy have come and gone.
• It is a mess.

Structural Challenges at the Core of Government

Every prime minister spend too much time abroad and on foreign affairs, where Sir Keir should delegate more, and too little talking to parliamentarians and hearing the public. Prime ministers also spend too much time engaging with the press, 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 biggest issues, however, are structural. It would be beneficial to think that Sir Keir reviewed the Institute for Government’s spring 2024 report on reforming the centre of government. His inability to address these matters last July or afterward implies he did not. The frequently dismal experience of Labour’s time in office suggests IfG proposals like reorganizing the functions of the central government office and No 10, and dividing the jobs of cabinet secretary and civil service head, are now urgent.

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 is the victim of previous shortcomings along with the architect of current mistakes. But those who hoped Sir Keir might get a grip on the centre and take the machinery of government seriously have been let down. Sadly, the biggest loser from this shortcoming is Sir Keir himself.