10 Downing Street Fails to Be Fit for Purpose

Prime Minister Starmer traveled to north Wales on Thursday to declare the building 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 power requirements. Instead, he spent it attempting to put an end to the Labour leadership briefing row, telling reporters that No 10 had not briefed against the health secretary’s ambitions in recent days.

Therefore, Sir Keir’s day served as a microcosm of what his premiership has evolved into overall. Firstly, he wants his government to be doing, and to be perceived as performing, significant actions. On the other hand, he is incapable to accomplish this due to the manner he – and, partly, the country as a whole – now practices political and governmental affairs.

The Prime Minister cannot change the political culture single-handedly, but he is able to take action about his personal involvement in it. The simple truth is that he could run the centre of government much more effectively than he currently does. Should he achieve this, he might find that the nation was in less despair about his administration than it currently is, and that he was getting his messages across more successfully.

Personnel Problems in Downing Street

A number of the issues in Downing Street relate to individuals. The personal dynamics of any No 10 regime are hard to know accurately from the exterior. But it seems obvious that Sir Keir does not make sound staffing decisions, or maintain them. Perhaps he is too busy. Perhaps he is not really interested. However, he must 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 appointed Sue Gray his chief of staff, then replaced her with Morgan McSweeney.
• He recruited a Treasury figure in from the Treasury as his chief secretary.
• His communications chiefs have chopped and changed.
• Political and policy advisers have entered and exited.
• It is a mess.

Structural Challenges at the Core of the Administration

All premiers devote excessive time abroad and on international matters, where Sir Keir should delegate more, and insufficient time conversing with parliamentarians and listening to the public. Prime ministers also allocate too much time engaging with the press, which Sir Keir compounds by doing it poorly. 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 has recently.

The biggest issues, though, are systemic. It would be beneficial to believe that Sir Keir read the a think tank's March 2024 study on reforming the centre of government. His inability to address these matters last July or since suggests he did not. The frequently dismal performance of Labour’s time in office indicates recommendations like restructuring the roles of the central government office and Downing Street, and separating the positions of cabinet secretary and head of the civil service, are currently critical.

The dominant political role of PMs greatly exceeds the support available to them. As a result, everything currently suffers, and many tasks are poorly executed or neglected.

This is not Sir Keir’s sole responsibility. He stands as the victim of past failures as well as the architect of current mistakes. But those who hoped Sir Keir would take control of the core and prioritize governmental structures have been let down. Unfortunately, the biggest loser from this shortcoming is Sir Keir himself.