Number 10 Downing Street Is Not Fit for Purpose

Prime Minister Starmer traveled to north Wales on Thursday to announce the construction of a fresh nuclear energy facility. This is a significant policy event with implications at local and countrywide levels. However, the prime minister did not devote 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 briefing controversy within Labour's leadership, informing reporters 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 premiership has now become overall. On the one hand, he wants his administration to be performing, and to be seen to be doing, significant actions. Conversely, he is unable to accomplish this due to the manner he – and, to an extent, the nation more generally – now practices political and governmental affairs.

The Prime Minister cannot 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 government's core far better than he currently does. Should he achieve this, he might find that the country was in less dismay about his administration than it currently is, and that he was getting his messages across more effectively.

Personnel Problems in No 10

A number of the problems in Downing Street are about personnel. The interpersonal relations of every Downing Street operation are difficult to discern well from outside. But it seems obvious that Sir Keir fails to make good personnel choices, or stick with them. Maybe he is overly occupied. Perhaps he is not really interested. However, he must to improve his performance, avoid slow progress or by halves.

• He dithered about giving the key job of cabinet secretary to Chris Wormald.
• He appointed a former official his top aide, then substituted her with a political strategist.
• He brought a Treasury figure in from the finance ministry as his chief secretary.
• His communications chiefs have been frequently replaced.
• Political and policy advisers have entered and exited.
• It is a mess.

Structural Challenges at the Heart of the Administration

Every prime minister devote excessive time abroad and on foreign affairs, where Sir Keir should delegate more, and insufficient time conversing with MPs and listening to the citizens. Prime ministers also spend too much time doing media, which Sir Keir worsens by performing inadequately. Yet leaders cannot claim to be surprised when their politically appointed staff, who tend to be party loyalists or politically ambitious, cross lines or become the story, as Mr McSweeney has recently.

The most significant problems, though, are structural. It would be beneficial to think that Sir Keir reviewed the Institute for Government’s spring 2024 study on reforming the centre of government. His failure to grip these issues in the summer or afterward suggests he did not. The often abject experience of the Labour administration indicates recommendations like reorganizing the functions of the central government office and Downing Street, and dividing the jobs of top official and head of the civil service, are currently critical.

The dominant political role of prime ministers greatly exceeds the support available to them. Consequently, all aspects suffer, and many tasks are poorly executed or ignored.

This is not Sir Keir’s sole responsibility. He is the casualty of past failures along with the author of present ones. But those who hoped Sir Keir might get a grip on the core and take the machinery of government seriously have been let down. Unfortunately, the biggest loser from this shortcoming is Sir Keir personally.