🔗 Share this article

Sir Keir Starmer visited north Wales this past Thursday to declare the development of a fresh nuclear energy facility. This is a significant policy event with implications at local and countrywide levels. Yet, the PM did not dedicate much time in Wales to promoting solutions for the UK's energy needs. Instead, he spent it trying to draw a line under the Labour leadership briefing row, informing journalists that Downing Street 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 premiership has evolved into overall. On the one hand, he desires his administration to be doing, and to be seen to be doing, important things. Conversely, he is unable to achieve this because of the manner he – and, partly, the country more generally – now practices politics and government.

Sir Keir is unable to 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 run the centre of government far better than he currently does. If he did this, he might find that the nation was in less dismay about his administration than it is, and that he was communicating his points more effectively.

Staffing Issues in No 10

A number of the problems in Number 10 relate to individuals. The personal dynamics of every Downing Street operation are hard to know well from outside. Yet it appears clear that Sir Keir fails to make sound staffing decisions, or maintain them. Maybe he is overly occupied. Possibly he lacks genuine interest. But he needs to up his game, not do things slowly or by halves.

• He dithered about assigning the key job of cabinet secretary to a senior official.
• He appointed Sue Gray his top aide, then substituted her with Morgan McSweeney.
• He brought a Treasury figure in from the finance ministry as his deputy.
• His communications chiefs have been frequently replaced.
• Advisors on politics and policy have entered and exited.
• It is a mess.

Systemic Issues at the Core of Government

All premiers devote excessive time abroad and on international matters, where Sir Keir should delegate more, and insufficient time talking to parliamentarians and hearing the public. Prime ministers 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 focus, as the chief of staff has recently.

The biggest issues, however, are systemic. It would be good to think that Sir Keir reviewed the a think tank's March 2024 study on reforming the centre of government. His inability to address these matters in the summer or since suggests he did not. The frequently dismal performance of the Labour administration indicates IfG proposals like reorganizing the roles of the Cabinet Office and No 10, and dividing the positions of top official and head of the civil service, are now urgent.

The political pre-eminence of PMs greatly exceeds the support available to them. As a result, everything currently suffers, and much is done badly or ignored.

This isn't Sir Keir’s sole responsibility. He is the casualty of past failures as well as the author of present ones. 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 failure is Sir Keir personally.