10 Downing Street Is Not Up to the Job

Prime Minister Starmer visited Wales' northern region on Thursday to declare the construction of a new nuclear power station. This represents a significant policy event with implications at local and countrywide levels. Yet, the prime minister did not devote much time in Wales to advocating solutions for the UK's energy needs. Instead, he used the time attempting to put an end to the Labour leadership briefing row, informing journalists that No 10 had not briefed against the health secretary’s ambitions in recent days.

Therefore, Sir Keir’s day acted as a microcosm of what his prime ministership has evolved into more generally. Firstly, he wants his administration to be doing, and to be seen to be doing, significant actions. On the other hand, he is incapable to accomplish this due to the manner he – and, partly, the nation more generally – now conducts politics and government.

The Prime Minister cannot transform the political culture single-handedly, but he can take action about his personal involvement in it. The simple truth is that he could manage the centre of government far better than he currently does. If he did this, he could discover that the nation was in less dismay about his government than it currently is, and that he was getting his messages across more effectively.

Personnel Problems in Downing Street

Some of the problems in Number 10 relate to personnel. The personal dynamics of every Downing Street operation are hard to know accurately from the exterior. But it seems obvious that Sir Keir does not make good personnel choices, or maintain them. Maybe he is overly occupied. Possibly he lacks genuine interest. But he needs to improve his performance, not do things slowly or by halves.

• He dithered about assigning the key job of top civil servant to a senior official.
• He made Sue Gray his top aide, then replaced her with a political strategist.
• He recruited Darren Jones in from the Treasury as his chief secretary.
• His media advisors have been frequently replaced.
• Advisors on politics and policy have entered and exited.
• It is a mess.

Systemic Issues at the Core of the Administration

Every prime minister devote excessive time abroad and on foreign affairs, areas where Sir Keir ought to assign more tasks, and insufficient time conversing with parliamentarians and hearing the citizens. Prime ministers also spend too much time engaging with the press, which Sir Keir compounds by performing inadequately. Yet leaders cannot express surprise when their political appointees, who are often party loyalists or ambitious in politics, overstep boundaries or become the story, as the chief of staff has recently.

The biggest issues, though, are structural. It would be beneficial to think that Sir Keir read the Institute for Government’s spring 2024 study on reforming the government's central operations. His failure to address these matters in the summer or afterward 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 dividing the jobs of top official and civil service head, are now urgent.

The dominant political role of PMs greatly exceeds the support available to them. As a result, everything currently suffers, and much is done badly or neglected.

This isn't Sir Keir’s sole responsibility. He stands as the victim of past failures as well as the author of present ones. But those who hoped Sir Keir might get a grip on the core and prioritize governmental structures have been let down. Sadly, the biggest loser from this failure is Sir Keir himself.