FORMER Chancellor and Labour politician Alistair Darling has died aged 70.
The veteran politician served in the Treasury under Gordon Brown between 2007 and 2010.
AFPAlistair Darling has died aged 70[/caption]
PADarling served under Gordon Brown[/caption]
Darling also led the Better Together campaign, which won the Scottish independence vote in 2014.
A statement issued on behalf of his family said: “The death of Alistair Darling, a former Chancellor of the Exchequer and long-serving member of the Labour cabinet, was announced in Edinburgh today.
“Mr Darling, the much-loved husband of Margaret and beloved father of Calum and Anna, died after a short spell in Western General Hospital under the wonderful care of the cancer team.”
Darling joined the Labour Party when he was 23 but did not enter Parliament until ten years later when he beat Tory MP Sir Alexander Fletcher at the 1987 general election.
After Brown finally succeeded Tony Blair as PM in 2007, Darling was promoted to Chancellor from his then mid-ranking position as Trade Secretary.
It was not Darling’s first stint in the Treasury, having served as Chief Secretary for a year when New Labour swept to power in the 1997 landslide.
His chancellorship was dominated by the 2008 financial crisis where the government took the extraordinary decision to bail out the banks.
And he repeatedly clashed with Brown – known as the Iron Chancellor during the Blair years – who continued to hold an iron-clad grip over the Treasury.
The economic meltdown was weaponised by the Tories and saw Labour lose its majority in 2010.
Darling – the MP for Edinburgh South West since 1987 – announced he would step back from frontline politics but stay in the Commons, where he served until 2015.
But he would return to lead the No campaign during the 2012 Scottish referendum, where he effectively disarmed Nat leader Alex Salmond in a crunch debate over currency plans.
He had a key role in Tony Blair‘s government – starting out as chief secretary to the treasury in 1997 following Labour’s landslide victory.
The MP also headed a number of departments, including work and pensions, transport and trade.
He became a household name in 2007 when he was appointed as chancellor to Gordon Brown’s government.
Darling steered the country through the global banking crisis, and stayed in post until Brown lost the election in 2010.
He remained an MP until he stepped down in 2015.
Current Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer led tributes to Darling following the sad news.
He said: “I am deeply saddened to learn of the passing of Alistair Darling. My heart goes out to his family, particularly Maggie, Calum and Anna, whom he loved so dearly.
“Alistair lived a life devoted to public service. He will be remembered as the Chancellor whose calm expertise and honesty helped to guide Britain through the tumult of the global financial crisis.
“He was a lifelong advocate for Scotland and the Scottish people and his greatest professional pride came from representing his constituents in Edinburgh.
“I consider myself incredibly fortunate to have benefited from Alistair’s counsel and friendship. He was always at hand to provide advice built on his decades of experience – always with his trademark wry, good humour.
“Alistair will be missed by all those whose lives he touched. His loss to the Labour Party, his friends and his family is immeasurable.”
Ben Gurr – The TimesDarling with his wife Maggie[/caption]
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