10 Downing St Fails to Be Capable of the Task

Sir Keir Starmer visited north Wales on Thursday to declare the development of a new nuclear power station. This represents a major policy announcement with both local and national implications. However, the PM did not devote much time in Wales to promoting answers for the UK's energy needs. Rather, he used the time attempting to put an end to the briefing controversy within Labour's leadership, telling journalists that No 10 had not briefed against the health secretary’s ambitions in recent days.

Therefore, Sir Keir’s day served as a microcosm of what his premiership has evolved into overall. Firstly, he wants his administration to be doing, and to be seen to be doing, important things. On the other hand, he is incapable to accomplish this because of the way he – and, to an extent, the nation as a whole – now conducts politics and government.

Sir Keir is unable to transform the political culture single-handedly, but he can do something about his personal involvement in it. The simple truth is that he could manage the government's core far better than he currently does. If he did this, he might find that the nation was in less despair about his government than it is, and that he was getting his messages across more successfully.

Personnel Problems in Downing Street

Some of the problems in Downing Street are about personnel. The interpersonal relations of every Downing Street operation are hard to know accurately from the exterior. But it seems obvious 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 up his game, not do things slowly or by halves.

• He hesitated about giving the crucial role of cabinet secretary to a senior official.
• He appointed Sue Gray his chief of staff, then substituted her with Morgan McSweeney.
• He recruited Darren Jones in from the Treasury as his deputy.
• His communications chiefs have been frequently replaced.
• Advisors on politics and policy have come and gone.
• The situation is chaotic.

Structural Challenges at the Core of Government

Every prime minister devote excessive time abroad and on foreign affairs, areas where Sir Keir ought to assign more tasks, and insufficient time talking to MPs and hearing the citizens. Prime ministers also allocate too much time engaging with the press, which Sir Keir worsens by doing it poorly. But premiers cannot express surprise when their politically appointed staff, who are often party activists or ambitious in politics, cross lines or become the focus, as the chief of staff has recently.

The most significant problems, though, are systemic. It would be beneficial to think that Sir Keir read the a think tank's spring 2024 study on reforming the centre of government. His inability to grip these issues in the summer or afterward suggests he did not. The often abject performance of the Labour administration indicates recommendations like restructuring the roles of the central government office and Downing Street, and separating the positions of top official and head of the civil service, are currently critical.

The political pre-eminence of prime ministers far outdistances the support available to them. As a result, everything currently suffers, and much is done badly or ignored.

This is not Sir Keir’s sole responsibility. He is the casualty of previous shortcomings as well as the author of current mistakes. But those who hoped Sir Keir would take control of the centre and prioritize governmental structures have been let down. Unfortunately, the primary casualty from this shortcoming is Sir Keir himself.