Number 10 Downing St Fails to Be Up to the Job

Prime Minister Starmer traveled to Wales' northern region on Thursday to reveal the development of a fresh nuclear energy facility. This is a major policy announcement with both local and national implications. However, the PM did not devote much time in Wales to promoting solutions for the UK's power requirements. Rather, he spent it trying to put an end to the Labour leadership briefing row, telling journalists that Downing Street had not briefed against the health secretary’s ambitions earlier this week.

As such, Sir Keir’s day served as a microcosm of what his prime ministership has evolved into more generally. On the one hand, he wants his government to be performing, and to be perceived as performing, significant actions. On the other hand, he is unable to achieve this because of the manner he – and, to an extent, the nation more generally – now practices political and governmental affairs.

The Prime Minister is unable to change the culture of politics on his own, but he can take action about his personal involvement in it. The simple truth is that he could run the government's core far better than he does. Should he achieve this, he might find that the nation was in less despair about his administration than it currently is, and that he was getting his messages across more effectively.

Personnel Problems in No 10

A number of the issues in Downing Street are about personnel. The personal dynamics of every Downing Street operation are difficult to discern well from outside. Yet it appears clear that Sir Keir does not make sound staffing decisions, or maintain them. Perhaps he is too busy. Possibly he lacks genuine interest. But he needs to improve his performance, not do things slowly or incompletely.

• He dithered about giving the key job of top civil servant to a senior official.
• He made Sue Gray his chief of staff, then replaced her with Morgan McSweeney.
• He brought a Treasury figure in from the Treasury as his deputy.
• His media advisors have been frequently replaced.
• Advisors on politics and policy have come and gone.
• It is a mess.

Structural Challenges at the Core of Government

All premiers spend too much time abroad and on international matters, areas where Sir Keir ought to assign more tasks, and too little talking to MPs and hearing the public. Premiers also allocate too much time engaging with the press, which Sir Keir worsens by doing it poorly. Yet leaders cannot express surprise when their political appointees, who are often party loyalists 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 reviewed the a think tank's March 2024 report on reforming the government's central operations. His failure to address these matters last July or afterward suggests he did not. The frequently dismal experience of Labour’s time in office suggests recommendations like restructuring the roles of the central government office and Downing Street, and dividing the positions of cabinet secretary and head of the civil service, are now urgent.

The political pre-eminence of prime ministers far outdistances the support available to them. Consequently, all aspects suffer, and much is done badly or ignored.

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 would take control of the centre and prioritize governmental structures have been disappointed. Unfortunately, the primary casualty from this failure is Sir Keir himself.