Number 10 Downing St Fails to Be Up to the Job

Prime Minister Starmer visited north Wales this past Thursday to declare the development of a fresh nuclear energy facility. This is a significant policy event with implications at local and countrywide levels. However, the prime minister did not devote extensive time in Wales to promoting answers for the UK's energy needs. Rather, he used the time attempting to draw a line under the briefing controversy within Labour's leadership, informing reporters that No 10 had not briefed against the health secretary’s ambitions earlier this week.

Therefore, Sir Keir’s day acted as a microcosm of what his prime ministership has now become overall. On the one hand, he wants his administration to be performing, 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, to an extent, the nation more generally – now practices political and governmental affairs.

The Prime Minister cannot transform the political culture on his own, but he is able to do something about his own role in it. The simple truth is that he could manage the centre of government far better than he currently does. Should he achieve this, he might find that the nation was in less despair about his administration than it 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 personal dynamics of every Downing Street operation are difficult to discern well from outside. Yet it appears clear that Sir Keir fails to make sound staffing decisions, or stick with them. Perhaps he is too busy. Perhaps he is not really interested. However, he must to up his game, avoid slow progress or incompletely.

• He hesitated about assigning the crucial role of top civil servant to a senior official.
• He made Sue Gray his top aide, then substituted her with a political strategist.
• He recruited a Treasury figure in from the finance ministry as his deputy.
• His communications chiefs have been frequently replaced.
• Advisors on politics and policy have entered and exited.
• The situation is chaotic.

Structural Challenges at the Core of the Administration

Every prime minister devote excessive time overseas and on foreign affairs, 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 compounds by doing it poorly. Yet leaders cannot express surprise when their political appointees, who tend to be party loyalists or politically ambitious, cross lines or become the story, as the chief of staff now has.

The most significant problems, however, are systemic. It would be beneficial to believe that Sir Keir reviewed the a think tank's spring 2024 report on overhauling the government's central operations. His failure to address these matters last July or afterward implies he did not. The often abject performance of the Labour administration suggests recommendations like restructuring the functions of the Cabinet Office and No 10, and dividing the positions of cabinet secretary and head of the civil service, are now urgent.

The political pre-eminence of prime ministers greatly exceeds the assistance provided to them. As a result, everything currently suffers, and many tasks are poorly executed or ignored.

This is not Sir Keir’s sole responsibility. He is the victim of previous shortcomings as well as the author of current mistakes. But those who hoped Sir Keir might get a grip on the centre and take the machinery of government seriously have been disappointed. Unfortunately, the biggest loser from this failure is Sir Keir himself.