10 Downing Street Fails to Be Up to the Job

Sir Keir Starmer visited north Wales on Thursday to reveal the building of a new nuclear power station. This is a significant policy event with implications at local and countrywide levels. Yet, the prime minister did not dedicate extensive time in Wales to promoting answers for the UK's energy needs. Instead, he used the time trying to put an end to the Labour leadership briefing row, telling journalists that Downing Street had not undermined the health secretary’s ambitions earlier this week.

As such, Sir Keir’s day acted as a microcosm of what his prime ministership has now become more generally. Firstly, he desires his administration to be doing, and to be seen to be doing, important things. On the other hand, he is unable to accomplish this due to the way he – and, partly, the nation more generally – now practices politics and government.

The Prime Minister cannot transform the political culture single-handedly, but he is able to take action about his own role in it. The plain fact is that he could manage the government's core far better than he currently does. If he did this, he might find that the nation was in less dismay about his government than it is, and that he was getting his messages across more effectively.

Personnel Problems in No 10

Some of the issues in Downing Street relate to personnel. The personal dynamics of any No 10 regime are difficult to discern accurately from the exterior. Yet it appears clear that Sir Keir fails to make good personnel choices, or maintain them. Perhaps he is too busy. Perhaps he is not really interested. But he needs to improve his performance, avoid slow progress or incompletely.

• He dithered about assigning the crucial role of top civil servant to Chris Wormald.
• He made Sue Gray his top aide, then substituted her with Morgan McSweeney.
• He brought a Treasury figure in from the Treasury as his deputy.
• His media advisors have been frequently replaced.
• Political and policy advisers have come and gone.
• The situation is chaotic.

Structural Challenges at the Core of the Administration

Every prime minister spend too much time abroad and on international matters, where Sir Keir should delegate more, and too little conversing with parliamentarians and hearing the public. Premiers also allocate too much time doing media, which Sir Keir worsens 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 Mr McSweeney now has.

The most significant problems, though, are structural. It would be beneficial to believe that Sir Keir read the Institute for Government’s March 2024 study on overhauling the centre of government. His failure to grip these issues in the summer or since implies he did not. The frequently dismal performance of the Labour administration suggests recommendations like restructuring the functions of the central government office and No 10, and separating the jobs of top official and civil service head, are currently critical.

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

This is not Sir Keir’s fault alone. He stands as the victim 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 take the machinery of government seriously have been let down. Sadly, the biggest loser from this failure is Sir Keir personally.