10 Downing St Fails to Be Fit for Purpose

Prime Minister Starmer visited north Wales this past Thursday to declare the construction of a fresh nuclear energy facility. This represents a major policy announcement with implications at local and countrywide levels. Yet, the prime minister did not dedicate extensive time in Wales to advocating answers for the UK's energy needs. Rather, he spent it trying to put an end to the Labour leadership briefing row, informing reporters that No 10 had not undermined the health secretary's goals earlier this week.

As such, Sir Keir’s day acted as a microcosm of what his premiership has evolved into more generally. On the one hand, he desires his administration to be doing, and to be seen to be doing, important things. On the other hand, he is incapable to accomplish this because of the manner he – and, to an extent, the country as a whole – now conducts political and governmental affairs.

Sir Keir cannot change the culture of politics single-handedly, but he can do something about his own role in it. The simple truth is that he could manage the government's core far better than he does. If he did this, he could discover that the country was in less dismay about his administration than it is, and that he was communicating his points more successfully.

Personnel Problems in Downing Street

A number of the problems in Number 10 relate to individuals. The interpersonal relations of every Downing Street operation are difficult to discern well from outside. Yet it appears clear that Sir Keir does not make good personnel choices, or stick with them. Maybe he is overly occupied. Perhaps he is not really interested. But he needs to improve his performance, not do things slowly or by halves.

• He hesitated about assigning the crucial role of cabinet secretary to a senior official.
• He made a former official his top aide, then replaced her with Morgan McSweeney.
• He brought a Treasury figure in from the Treasury as his chief secretary.
• His media advisors have been frequently replaced.
• Advisors on politics and policy have entered and exited.
• The situation is chaotic.

Systemic Issues at the Core of Government

All premiers spend too much time abroad and on foreign affairs, areas where Sir Keir ought to assign more tasks, and insufficient time conversing with parliamentarians and listening to the public. Prime ministers also spend too much time engaging with the press, which Sir Keir worsens by doing it poorly. But premiers cannot claim to be surprised when their politically appointed staff, who are often party loyalists or ambitious in politics, overstep boundaries or become the story, as the chief of staff has recently.

The biggest issues, though, are systemic. It would be good to think that Sir Keir read the Institute for Government’s March 2024 report on reforming the centre of government. His inability to grip these issues last July or since suggests he did not. The often abject experience of the Labour administration suggests IfG proposals like reorganizing the functions of the Cabinet Office and Downing Street, and separating 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. Consequently, 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. Yet individuals who expected Sir Keir might get a grip on the core and prioritize governmental structures have been let down. Unfortunately, the primary casualty from this failure is Sir Keir personally.