[3] White became a Strategic Adviser to Keir Starmer,[3] supporting his transition to Leader of the Opposition in 2020[1] and running his response to the COVID-19 pandemic from April to August 2020.
[4] The appointment was praised by Conservative Party adviser James Dowling, who had worked with White at the Treasury.
[6] While in the role, White was documented as clashing with Shadow Cabinet member Lisa Nandy over her attending a picket line in August 2022.
[8] A briefing to The Times reported White was "blamed for a series of strategic missteps that enraged the Shadow Cabinet and fomented an atmosphere of tension and distrust belied by Labour's success in the polls".
[10] The Times said that, according to White's internal critics, "his style was defined by an excess of caution that too often prevented Starmer from seizing the initiative".