10 Downing Street Fails to Be Up to the Job

Prime Minister Starmer traveled to north Wales this past Thursday to reveal the development of a fresh nuclear energy facility. This is a major policy announcement with implications at local and countrywide levels. However, the prime minister did not devote much time in Wales to advocating answers for the UK's power requirements. Rather, he used the time trying to put an end to the briefing controversy within Labour's leadership, informing journalists that Downing Street had not briefed against the health secretary's goals earlier this week.

As such, Sir Keir’s day served as a microcosm of what his premiership 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, partly, the nation more generally – now conducts political and governmental affairs.

Sir Keir cannot transform the culture of politics single-handedly, but he is able to take action about his own role in it. The plain fact is that he could run the government's core much more effectively than he does. Should he achieve this, he might find that the nation was in less despair about his government than it currently is, and that he was communicating his points more effectively.

Staffing Issues in Downing Street

A number of the problems in Number 10 relate to personnel. The interpersonal relations of any No 10 regime are hard to know well from outside. But it seems obvious that Sir Keir fails to make sound staffing decisions, or maintain them. Perhaps he is too busy. Possibly he lacks genuine interest. However, he must to improve his performance, avoid slow progress or incompletely.

• He dithered about assigning the key job of cabinet secretary to a senior official.
• He appointed Sue Gray his chief of staff, then replaced her with a political strategist.
• He brought Darren Jones in from the finance ministry as his deputy.
• His communications chiefs have chopped and changed.
• Advisors on politics and policy have entered and exited.
• It is a mess.

Systemic Issues at the Heart of the Administration

All premiers spend too much time abroad and on foreign affairs, where Sir Keir should delegate more, and insufficient time conversing with parliamentarians and listening to the citizens. Premiers also allocate too much time engaging with the press, which Sir Keir compounds by performing inadequately. Yet leaders cannot express surprise when their politically appointed staff, who are often party loyalists or ambitious in politics, overstep boundaries or become the story, as Mr McSweeney now has.

The most significant problems, though, are structural. It would be good to believe that Sir Keir read the a think tank's March 2024 report on reforming the government's central operations. His inability to grip these issues last July or afterward implies he did not. The often abject performance of Labour’s time in office suggests IfG proposals like restructuring the roles of the Cabinet Office and Downing Street, and dividing the positions of cabinet secretary and civil service head, are currently critical.

The political pre-eminence of prime ministers greatly exceeds the assistance provided to them. As a result, all aspects suffer, and many tasks are poorly executed or neglected.

This isn't Sir Keir’s sole responsibility. He is the casualty of past failures along with the author of current mistakes. But those who hoped Sir Keir would take control of the core and prioritize governmental structures have been let down. Sadly, the biggest loser from this shortcoming is Sir Keir personally.