Number 10 Downing Street Fails to Be Up to the Job

Prime Minister Starmer visited north Wales on Thursday to declare the building of a fresh nuclear energy facility. This represents a major policy announcement with implications at local and countrywide levels. However, the PM did not devote extensive time in Wales to promoting solutions for the UK's power requirements. Instead, he spent it trying to put an end to the briefing controversy within Labour's leadership, telling reporters that No 10 had not undermined the health secretary’s ambitions in recent days.

Therefore, Sir Keir’s day acted as a microcosm of what his prime ministership has now become more generally. On the one hand, he desires his administration to be doing, and to be perceived as performing, important things. On the other hand, he is unable to achieve this because of the manner he – and, partly, the nation as a whole – now practices political and governmental affairs.

Sir Keir is unable to transform the culture of politics single-handedly, but he can take action about his personal involvement in it. The simple truth is that he could manage the government's core much more effectively than he currently does. If he did this, he might find that the country was in less dismay about his government than it currently is, and that he was communicating his points more effectively.

Staffing Issues in No 10

Some of the problems in Downing Street relate to personnel. The interpersonal relations of any No 10 regime are difficult to discern accurately from the exterior. But it seems obvious that Sir Keir fails to make good personnel choices, or maintain them. Maybe he is overly occupied. Perhaps he is not really interested. But he needs to up his game, avoid slow progress or incompletely.

• He dithered about assigning the crucial role of top civil servant to Chris Wormald.
• He made Sue Gray his top aide, then replaced her with a political strategist.
• 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 abroad and on foreign affairs, where Sir Keir should delegate more, and too little talking to parliamentarians and listening to the citizens. 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 are often party activists or ambitious in politics, cross lines or become the focus, as the chief of staff now has.

The biggest issues, however, are systemic. It would be good to think that Sir Keir reviewed the a think tank's spring 2024 report on overhauling the centre of government. His failure to address these matters in the summer 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 central government office and Downing Street, and separating the jobs of top official and civil service head, are now urgent.

The dominant political role of PMs greatly exceeds the assistance provided to them. As a result, all aspects suffer, and many tasks are poorly executed or neglected.

This isn't Sir Keir’s sole responsibility. He is the victim 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 let down. Unfortunately, the primary casualty from this shortcoming is Sir Keir himself.