🔗 Share this article

Prime Minister Starmer traveled to north Wales this past Thursday to declare the construction of a new nuclear power station. This represents a major policy announcement with implications at local and countrywide levels. However, the PM did not dedicate much time in Wales to promoting solutions for the UK's power requirements. Rather, he used the time attempting to draw a line under the briefing controversy within Labour's leadership, informing reporters that Downing Street 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 administration to be performing, and to be seen to be doing, important things. Conversely, he is incapable to achieve this due to the way he – and, to an extent, the country as a whole – now conducts political and governmental affairs.

The Prime Minister cannot transform the political culture on his own, but he is able to take action about his own role in it. The plain fact is that he could run the centre of government much more effectively than he currently does. Should he achieve this, he could discover that the country was in less despair about his administration than it currently is, and that he was communicating his points more successfully.

Staffing Issues in No 10

Some of the problems in Downing Street relate to individuals. The interpersonal relations of any No 10 regime are difficult to discern accurately from the exterior. Yet it appears clear that Sir Keir does not make sound staffing decisions, or stick with them. Maybe he is overly occupied. Possibly he lacks genuine interest. But he needs to improve his performance, avoid slow progress or incompletely.

• He dithered about assigning the key job of cabinet secretary to Chris Wormald.
• He made a former official 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 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 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 talking to MPs and listening to the public. Premiers also spend too much time doing media, which Sir Keir worsens by doing it poorly. But premiers cannot express surprise when their political appointees, who are often party loyalists or politically ambitious, cross lines or become the story, as Mr McSweeney has recently.

The most significant problems, however, are systemic. It would be good to believe that Sir Keir reviewed the a think tank's March 2024 study on reforming the centre of government. His failure to address these matters in the summer or afterward suggests he did not. The often abject experience of the Labour administration indicates IfG proposals like restructuring the functions of the Cabinet Office and No 10, and dividing the jobs of top official and civil service head, are now urgent.

The dominant political role of prime ministers greatly exceeds the support available to them. Consequently, all aspects suffer, and much is done badly or ignored.

This is not Sir Keir’s fault alone. He is the victim of past failures along with the author of present ones. But those who hoped Sir Keir would take control of the core and prioritize governmental structures have been let down. Unfortunately, the primary casualty from this failure is Sir Keir personally.