Number 10 Downing St Fails to Be Up to the Job

Prime Minister Starmer traveled to north Wales on Thursday to declare the construction of a new nuclear power station. This is a major policy announcement with both local and national implications. Yet, the prime minister did not dedicate extensive time in Wales to advocating solutions for the UK's energy needs. Instead, he spent it attempting to draw a line under the Labour leadership briefing row, informing reporters that No 10 had not briefed against the health secretary’s ambitions in recent days.

As such, Sir Keir’s day served as a microcosm of what his prime ministership has evolved into overall. On the one hand, he desires his government to be performing, and to be perceived as performing, significant actions. On the other hand, he is incapable to achieve this due to the way he – and, partly, the nation as a whole – now practices political and governmental affairs.

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 manage the centre of government far better than he does. If he did this, he could discover that the country was in less despair about his administration than it currently is, and that he was communicating his points more successfully.

Personnel Problems in Downing Street

Some of the problems in Downing Street are about individuals. 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 sound staffing decisions, or maintain them. Perhaps he is too busy. Possibly he lacks genuine interest. However, he must to up his game, not do things slowly or by halves.

• He hesitated about assigning the key job of cabinet secretary to a senior official.
• He made a former official his top aide, then replaced her with Morgan McSweeney.
• He brought 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.

Systemic Issues at the Core of the Administration

Every prime minister spend too much time abroad and on foreign affairs, areas where Sir Keir ought to assign more tasks, and insufficient time talking to parliamentarians and hearing the public. Prime ministers 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 tend to be party loyalists or ambitious in politics, overstep boundaries or become the story, as the chief of staff now has.

The biggest issues, however, are structural. It would be good to think that Sir Keir reviewed the Institute for Government’s March 2024 study on reforming the centre of government. His inability to grip these issues in the summer or afterward implies he did not. The often abject performance of the Labour administration suggests IfG proposals like restructuring the roles of the Cabinet Office and Downing Street, and dividing the jobs of cabinet secretary and civil service head, are now urgent.

The dominant political role of PMs greatly exceeds the assistance provided to them. As a result, everything currently suffers, and many tasks are poorly executed or ignored.

This isn't Sir Keir’s sole responsibility. He stands as the victim of previous shortcomings as well as the author of present ones. But those who hoped Sir Keir might get a grip on the core and take the machinery of government seriously have been let down. Sadly, the biggest loser from this shortcoming is Sir Keir personally.