Number 10 Downing Street Is Not Capable of the Task

Prime Minister Starmer visited Wales' northern region this past Thursday to announce the construction of a new nuclear power station. This is a significant policy event with implications at local and countrywide levels. However, the prime minister did not devote much time in Wales to promoting answers for the UK's energy needs. Instead, he spent it attempting to put an end to the briefing controversy within Labour's leadership, telling reporters that Downing Street had not undermined the health secretary's goals in recent days.

Therefore, Sir Keir’s day acted as a small-scale example of what his prime ministership has evolved into overall. On the one hand, he wants his government to be doing, and to be perceived as performing, important things. On the other hand, he is incapable to achieve this because of the manner he – and, to an extent, the nation as a whole – now conducts political and governmental affairs.

Sir Keir cannot change the political culture single-handedly, but he is able to take action about his personal involvement in it. The plain fact is that he could run the centre of government far better than he currently does. If he did this, he could discover that the country was in less dismay about his government than it is, and that he was getting his messages across more effectively.

Personnel Problems in Downing Street

Some of the issues in Number 10 relate to individuals. The personal dynamics of any No 10 regime are hard to know well from outside. But it seems obvious that Sir Keir fails to make good personnel choices, or stick with them. Perhaps he is too busy. Perhaps he is not really interested. But he needs to improve his performance, avoid slow progress or by halves.

• He dithered about giving the crucial role of top civil servant to Chris Wormald.
• He made a former official his top aide, then replaced her with a political strategist.
• He brought a Treasury figure in from the finance ministry as his deputy.
• His media advisors have chopped and changed.
• Political and policy advisers have entered and exited.
• It is a mess.

Systemic Issues at the Core of the Administration

All premiers spend too much time overseas and on international matters, where Sir Keir should delegate more, and too little talking to parliamentarians and hearing the citizens. Prime ministers also allocate too much time doing media, which Sir Keir compounds by doing it poorly. But premiers cannot express surprise when their political appointees, who tend to be party loyalists or ambitious in politics, cross lines or become the story, as Mr McSweeney has recently.

The biggest issues, though, are structural. It would be good to think that Sir Keir read the Institute for Government’s spring 2024 study on overhauling the centre of government. His failure to address these matters in the summer or afterward suggests he did not. The frequently dismal performance of Labour’s time in office suggests recommendations like reorganizing the functions of the Cabinet Office and Downing Street, and separating the jobs of cabinet secretary and head of the civil service, are now urgent.

The dominant political role of prime ministers far outdistances the support available to them. Consequently, all aspects suffer, and many tasks are poorly executed or ignored.

This is not Sir Keir’s fault alone. He is the casualty of previous shortcomings as well as the author of present ones. Yet individuals who expected Sir Keir might get a grip on the core and prioritize governmental structures have been disappointed. Unfortunately, the biggest loser from this shortcoming is Sir Keir himself.