James spent almost a decade as a UK government special adviser from 2010 to 2019, helping to pass more than 150 bills in parliament, before in 2017 being appointed Director of the Number 10 Policy Unit. In Downing Street, he oversaw policy work across all domestic departments, including the UK’s first modern industrial strategy, multi-billion-pound investment in the NHS (“the Long-Term Plan”), and world-leading legislation for sustainability and decarbonisation.

Prior to joining MHP, James worked as a freelance consultant from 2019 to 2025, providing strategic counsel on significant geopolitical risks, opportunities and trends arising from developments in UK policy and politics. He advised CEO, C-suite, and board level leaders at over 50 UK, US and EU-headquartered investor, sovereign, non-profit and corporate clients. His sector coverage has included: energy; infrastructure; financial services; media and broadcast; big tech; retail; and FMCG.