Number 10 Downing Street Fails to Be Up to the Job

Sir Keir Starmer visited north Wales on Thursday to announce 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 dedicate much time in Wales to promoting answers for the UK's energy needs. Rather, he spent it attempting to draw a line under the briefing controversy within Labour's leadership, informing reporters that No 10 had not undermined the health secretary’s ambitions earlier this week.

As such, Sir Keir’s day acted as a microcosm of what his premiership has evolved into more generally. On the one hand, he wants his government to be doing, and to be seen to be doing, significant actions. On the other hand, he is unable to accomplish this because of the way he – and, partly, the country as a whole – now practices politics and government.

Sir Keir cannot transform the culture of politics single-handedly, but he can do something about his personal involvement in it. The plain fact is that he could manage the government's core much more effectively than he currently does. Should he achieve 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.

Staffing Issues in Downing Street

Some of the problems in Number 10 are about individuals. The personal dynamics of every Downing Street operation are difficult to discern well from outside. But it seems obvious that Sir Keir fails to make sound staffing decisions, or maintain them. Perhaps he is too busy. Perhaps he is not really interested. However, he must to improve his performance, not do things slowly or incompletely.

• He hesitated about giving the key job of cabinet secretary to Chris Wormald.
• He appointed Sue Gray his top aide, then substituted her with Morgan McSweeney.
• He brought a Treasury figure in from the finance ministry as his chief secretary.
• His communications chiefs have been frequently replaced.
• Political and policy advisers have come and gone.
• The situation is chaotic.

Systemic Issues at the Heart of Government

All premiers spend too much time overseas and on foreign affairs, where Sir Keir should delegate more, and too little conversing with MPs and listening to the citizens. Prime ministers also spend too much time engaging with the press, which Sir Keir compounds by doing it poorly. But premiers cannot claim to be surprised when their political appointees, who are often party activists or ambitious in politics, cross lines or become the focus, as Mr McSweeney has recently.

The most significant problems, though, are systemic. It would be good to think that Sir Keir read the Institute for Government’s spring 2024 report on reforming the government's central operations. His failure to grip these issues in the summer or afterward suggests he did not. The frequently dismal experience of the Labour administration suggests recommendations like reorganizing the roles of the central government office and No 10, and separating the positions of cabinet secretary and head of the civil service, are currently critical.

The dominant political role of prime ministers greatly exceeds the assistance provided to them. As a result, all aspects suffer, and much is done badly or ignored.

This isn't Sir Keir’s sole responsibility. He stands as the casualty of past failures as well as 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.