Number 10 Downing St Is Not Fit for Purpose

Prime Minister Starmer traveled to Wales' northern region on Thursday to announce the development of a fresh nuclear energy facility. This is a significant policy event with both local and national implications. However, the prime minister did not dedicate much time in Wales to advocating solutions for the UK's power requirements. Instead, he used the time attempting to draw a line under the Labour leadership briefing row, informing journalists that No 10 had not undermined the health secretary's goals in recent days.

Therefore, Sir Keir’s day acted as a microcosm of what his prime ministership has now become more generally. Firstly, he wants his government to be doing, and to be perceived as performing, significant actions. On the other hand, he is unable to accomplish this due to the manner he – and, partly, the country more generally – now practices politics and government.

The Prime Minister is unable to change the culture of politics on his own, but he is able to take action about his own role in it. The simple truth is that he could manage the centre of government much more effectively than he does. If he did this, he could discover that the country was in less dismay about his government than it currently is, and that he was communicating his points more successfully.

Staffing Issues in Downing Street

A number of the problems in Number 10 relate to 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 stick with them. Perhaps he is too busy. Perhaps he is not really interested. But he needs to up his game, not do things slowly or by halves.

• He dithered about assigning the key job of top civil servant to a senior official.
• He appointed a former official his top aide, then substituted her with a political strategist.
• He recruited Darren Jones in from the finance ministry as his deputy.
• His media advisors have been frequently replaced.
• Advisors on politics and policy have entered and exited.
• The situation is chaotic.

Structural Challenges at the Heart of Government

Every prime minister devote excessive time abroad and on international matters, where Sir Keir should delegate more, and too little conversing with parliamentarians and listening to the public. Premiers also allocate too much time engaging with the press, which Sir Keir worsens by doing it poorly. Yet leaders cannot express surprise when their political appointees, who tend to be party loyalists or ambitious in politics, cross lines or become the focus, as the chief of staff now has.

The most significant problems, however, are systemic. It would be good to believe that Sir Keir read the Institute for Government’s March 2024 report on overhauling the government's central operations. His failure to address these matters last July or afterward implies he did not. The frequently dismal performance of the Labour administration suggests recommendations like reorganizing the functions of the Cabinet Office and Downing Street, and separating the positions of top official and civil service head, are currently critical.

The political pre-eminence of PMs greatly exceeds the support available to them. As a result, everything currently suffers, and much is done badly or ignored.

This isn't Sir Keir’s sole responsibility. He is the victim of previous shortcomings as well as the author of present ones. But those who hoped Sir Keir might get a grip on the core and prioritize governmental structures have been disappointed. Unfortunately, the primary casualty from this shortcoming is Sir Keir personally.