🔗 Share this article 10 Downing St Is Not Up to the Job Sir Keir Starmer visited Wales' northern region this past Thursday to reveal the construction of a fresh nuclear energy facility. This represents a significant policy event with both local and national implications. However, the prime minister did not dedicate extensive time in Wales to promoting answers for the UK's power requirements. Rather, he used the time attempting to draw a line under the Labour leadership briefing row, informing reporters that Downing Street 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 evolved into more generally. Firstly, he desires his administration to be doing, and to be perceived as performing, important things. Conversely, he is incapable to accomplish this because of the way he – and, to an extent, the nation more generally – now practices politics and government. The Prime Minister cannot change the political culture single-handedly, but he can take action about his personal involvement in it. The plain fact is that he could manage the centre of government much more effectively than he currently does. If he did this, he could discover that the nation was in less despair about his administration than it currently is, and that he was getting his messages across more successfully. Personnel Problems in No 10 A number of the problems in Number 10 are about individuals. The interpersonal relations of every Downing Street operation are hard to know well from outside. Yet it appears clear that Sir Keir does not make sound staffing decisions, or stick with them. Perhaps he is too busy. Perhaps he is not really interested. But he needs to improve his performance, avoid slow progress or incompletely. He dithered about assigning the crucial role of top civil servant to Chris Wormald. He appointed a former official his top aide, then replaced her with Morgan McSweeney. He recruited a Treasury figure 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 Core of Government Every prime minister devote excessive time overseas and on international matters, where Sir Keir should delegate more, and insufficient time talking to MPs and listening to the public. Prime ministers also spend too much time doing media, which Sir Keir worsens by performing inadequately. Yet leaders cannot express surprise when their political appointees, who tend to be party activists or ambitious in politics, cross lines or become the focus, as the chief of staff has recently. The biggest issues, however, are structural. It would be good to think that Sir Keir read the Institute for Government’s March 2024 study on overhauling the government's central operations. His failure to address these matters last July or since implies he did not. The frequently dismal experience of the Labour administration suggests recommendations like restructuring the functions of the Cabinet Office and Downing Street, and separating the jobs of cabinet secretary and head of the civil service, are currently critical. The political pre-eminence of PMs greatly exceeds the support available to them. As a result, all aspects suffer, and many tasks are poorly executed or neglected. This isn't Sir Keir’s fault alone. He is the casualty of past failures as well as the architect of current mistakes. Yet individuals who expected Sir Keir might get a grip on the centre and take the machinery of government seriously have been disappointed. Sadly, the biggest loser from this shortcoming is Sir Keir himself.