Number 10 Downing St Fails to Be Capable of the Task

Sir Keir Starmer traveled to Wales' northern region on Thursday to declare the building of a new nuclear power station. This is a significant policy event with both local and national implications. Yet, the PM did not dedicate extensive time in Wales to promoting answers for the UK's energy needs. Instead, he used the time attempting to put an end to the Labour leadership briefing row, telling reporters that No 10 had not briefed against the health secretary's goals earlier this week.

As such, Sir Keir’s day served as a microcosm of what his premiership has now become more generally. Firstly, he desires his government to be performing, and to be perceived as performing, significant actions. On the other hand, he is unable to accomplish this due to the manner he – and, partly, the country as a whole – now conducts politics and government.

The Prime Minister is unable to transform the political culture on his own, but he is able to take action about his own role in it. The simple truth is that he could run the government's core much more effectively than he does. If he did this, he might find that the country was in less dismay about his administration than it currently is, and that he was communicating his points more successfully.

Personnel Problems in No 10

A number of the issues in Number 10 relate to individuals. The personal dynamics of any No 10 regime are hard to know well from outside. Yet it appears clear that Sir Keir fails to make good personnel choices, or stick with them. Maybe he is overly occupied. Possibly he lacks genuine interest. However, he must to up his game, not do things slowly or incompletely.

• He dithered about assigning the crucial role of cabinet secretary to Chris Wormald.
• He appointed a former official his chief of staff, then replaced her with Morgan McSweeney.
• He recruited Darren Jones in from the Treasury as his deputy.
• His media advisors have been frequently replaced.
• Political and policy advisers have come and gone.
• It is a mess.

Structural Challenges at the Core of Government

All premiers spend too much time overseas and on foreign affairs, where Sir Keir should delegate more, and insufficient time conversing with MPs and hearing the public. Premiers also allocate too much time doing media, which Sir Keir worsens by doing it poorly. Yet leaders cannot claim to be surprised when their political appointees, who tend to be party activists 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 read the a think tank's spring 2024 study on overhauling the centre of government. His failure to address these matters last July or afterward implies he did not. The often abject experience of Labour’s time in office indicates IfG proposals like reorganizing the functions of the Cabinet Office and Downing Street, and dividing the positions of top official and civil service head, are now urgent.

The political pre-eminence of PMs greatly exceeds the assistance provided to them. Consequently, everything currently suffers, and many tasks are poorly executed or neglected.

This is not Sir Keir’s sole responsibility. He is the casualty of past failures along with the architect of current mistakes. Yet individuals who expected Sir Keir might get a grip on the core and take the machinery of government seriously have been disappointed. Sadly, the biggest loser from this failure is Sir Keir himself.