10 Downing St Is Not Fit for Purpose

Prime Minister Starmer traveled to Wales' northern region on Thursday to reveal the construction of a new nuclear power station. This is a significant policy event with both local and national implications. However, the PM did not dedicate extensive time in Wales to promoting solutions for the UK's energy needs. Rather, he spent it trying to draw a line under the briefing controversy within Labour's leadership, telling reporters that No 10 had not briefed against the health secretary's goals earlier this week.

Therefore, Sir Keir’s day acted as a microcosm of what his premiership has now become more generally. On the one hand, he desires his government to be doing, and to be perceived as performing, significant actions. Conversely, he is incapable to achieve this due to the way he – and, partly, the country as a whole – now conducts political and governmental affairs.

The Prime Minister cannot change the culture of politics on his own, but he can do something about his own role in it. The simple truth is that he could run the centre of government much more effectively than he currently does. If he did this, he could discover that the country was in less despair about his administration than it is, and that he was getting his messages across more effectively.

Personnel Problems in Downing Street

A number of the issues in Downing Street relate to personnel. The personal dynamics of every Downing Street operation are difficult to discern accurately from the exterior. But it seems obvious that Sir Keir does not make good personnel choices, or stick with them. Perhaps he is too busy. Perhaps he is not really interested. But he needs to up his game, not do things slowly or incompletely.

• He hesitated about giving the crucial role of top civil servant to a senior official.
• He appointed Sue Gray his top aide, then replaced her with Morgan McSweeney.
• He recruited a Treasury figure in from the Treasury as his chief secretary.
• His communications chiefs have chopped and changed.
• Political and policy advisers have come and gone.
• It is a mess.

Systemic Issues at the Core of the Administration

All premiers devote excessive time abroad and on foreign affairs, where Sir Keir should delegate more, and insufficient time conversing with MPs and listening to the citizens. Premiers also allocate too much time engaging with the press, which Sir Keir compounds by performing inadequately. But premiers cannot express surprise when their political appointees, who are often party activists or politically ambitious, overstep boundaries or become the story, as the chief of staff now has.

The biggest issues, however, are systemic. It would be beneficial to think that Sir Keir reviewed the Institute for Government’s March 2024 study on reforming the government's central operations. His inability to grip these issues in the summer or afterward suggests he did not. The frequently dismal performance of Labour’s time in office indicates recommendations like restructuring the functions of the Cabinet Office and Downing Street, and separating the positions of cabinet secretary and civil service head, are now urgent.

The political pre-eminence of PMs far outdistances the support available to them. Consequently, all aspects suffer, and many tasks are poorly executed or neglected.

This is not Sir Keir’s sole responsibility. He is the casualty of previous shortcomings as well as the architect of present ones. But those who hoped Sir Keir might get a grip on the core and prioritize governmental structures have been let down. Unfortunately, the biggest loser from this failure is Sir Keir personally.