10 Downing Street Is Not Up to the Job

Prime Minister Starmer traveled to Wales' northern region on Thursday to declare the development of a fresh nuclear energy facility. This is a significant policy event with both local and national implications. Yet, the prime minister did not devote extensive time in Wales to promoting answers for the UK's energy needs. Rather, he used the time trying to draw a line under the briefing controversy within Labour's leadership, informing journalists that No 10 had not briefed against the health secretary’s ambitions earlier this week.

As such, Sir Keir’s day served as a microcosm of what his prime ministership has now become 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 unable to accomplish this because of the way he – and, partly, the nation as a whole – now practices political and governmental affairs.

Sir Keir is unable to change the political culture on his own, but he can do something about his own role in it. The simple truth is that he could run the centre of government much more effectively than he does. Should he achieve this, he might find that the nation was in less dismay about his administration than it currently is, and that he was communicating his points more effectively.

Personnel Problems in No 10

A number of the problems in Downing Street are about personnel. The personal dynamics of any No 10 regime are hard to know accurately from the exterior. Yet it appears clear that Sir Keir does not make sound staffing decisions, or maintain them. Perhaps he is too busy. Possibly he lacks genuine interest. However, he must to up his game, not do things slowly or by halves.

• He dithered about assigning the crucial role of top civil servant to Chris Wormald.
• He made Sue Gray his top aide, then replaced her with Morgan McSweeney.
• He recruited Darren Jones in from the finance ministry as his chief secretary.
• His communications chiefs have been frequently replaced.
• Advisors on politics and policy have come and gone.
• It is a mess.

Systemic Issues at the Core of Government

Every prime minister devote excessive time overseas and on international matters, where Sir Keir should delegate more, and insufficient time talking to MPs and listening to the citizens. 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 activists or ambitious in politics, cross lines or become the focus, as the chief of staff has recently.

The biggest issues, though, are structural. It would be beneficial to think that Sir Keir reviewed the Institute for Government’s spring 2024 report on overhauling the centre of government. His failure to grip these issues in the summer or since suggests he did not. The often abject experience of Labour’s time in office indicates IfG proposals like reorganizing the roles of the central government office and Downing Street, and separating the positions of cabinet secretary and civil service head, are currently critical.

The dominant political role of prime ministers greatly exceeds the support available to them. As a result, everything currently suffers, and much is done badly or neglected.

This is not Sir Keir’s sole responsibility. He is the victim of previous shortcomings along with the author of present ones. But those who hoped Sir Keir would take control of the core and take the machinery of government seriously have been let down. Sadly, the primary casualty from this shortcoming is Sir Keir himself.