🔗 Share this article Number 10 Downing St Fails to Be Up to the Job Sir Keir Starmer traveled to Wales' northern region this past Thursday to declare the construction of a fresh nuclear energy facility. This represents a major policy announcement with implications at local and countrywide levels. However, the prime minister 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 journalists that No 10 had not briefed against the health secretary’s ambitions earlier this week. As such, Sir Keir’s day served as a small-scale example of what his prime ministership has now become overall. On the one hand, he desires his government to be doing, and to be perceived as performing, significant actions. On the other hand, he is unable to achieve this because of the manner he – and, partly, the country as a whole – now practices politics and government. The Prime Minister cannot transform the political culture on his own, but he can take action about his personal involvement in it. The simple truth is that he could manage the centre of government far better than he currently does. Should he achieve this, he might find that the country was in less dismay about his administration than it currently is, and that he was getting his messages across more successfully. Personnel Problems in Downing Street Some of the problems in Number 10 are about personnel. The personal dynamics of any No 10 regime are hard to know well from outside. But it seems obvious that Sir Keir fails to make good personnel choices, or stick with them. Perhaps he is too busy. Possibly he lacks genuine interest. However, he must to up his game, avoid slow progress or by halves. He hesitated about assigning the key job of cabinet secretary to a senior official. He appointed Sue Gray his chief of staff, then replaced her with Morgan McSweeney. He brought 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. Systemic Issues at the Heart of the Administration All premiers devote excessive time abroad and on international matters, where Sir Keir should delegate more, and too little conversing with MPs and hearing 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, cross lines or become the story, as the chief of staff now has. The most significant problems, however, are systemic. It would be beneficial to think that Sir Keir reviewed the Institute for Government’s March 2024 report on overhauling the centre of government. His failure to address these matters in the summer or since implies he did not. The often abject experience of Labour’s time in office indicates recommendations like reorganizing the roles of the central government office and No 10, and dividing the positions of top official and head of the civil service, are now urgent. The dominant political role of PMs far outdistances the support available to them. Consequently, all aspects suffer, and much is done badly or ignored. This is not Sir Keir’s sole responsibility. He stands as the casualty of past failures along with the author of present ones. But those who hoped Sir Keir might get a grip on the centre and prioritize governmental structures have been disappointed. Unfortunately, the primary casualty from this failure is Sir Keir himself.