What Did Alistair Darling do?

Alistair Maclean Darling, Baron Darling of Roulanish is a British politician who served as Chancellor of the Exchequer under Prime Minister Gordon Brown from 2007 to 2010. A member of the Labour Party, he was a Member of Parliament (MP) from 1987 until he stepped down in 2015, most recently for Edinburgh South West.

Darling was first appointed as Chief Secretary to the Treasury by Prime Minister Tony Blair in 1997 and was promoted to Secretary of State for Work and Pensions in 1998.

From 2012 to 2014, Darling was the chairman of the Better Together Campaign, a cross-party group that successfully campaigned for Scotland to remain part of the United Kingdom in the 2014 independence referendum.

On 3 November 2014, Darling announced that he was standing down at the 2015 general election. He was nominated for a life peerage in the 2015 Dissolution Honours and was created Baron Darling of Roulanish, of Great Bernera in the County of Ross and Cromarty, on 1 December 2015. He retired from the House of Lords in July 2020.

What Did Alistair Darling do?

He served as Chancellor during the financial crisis of 2007–2008 and the Great Recession. From 2012 to 2014, Darling was the chairman of the Better Together Campaign, a cross-party group that successfully campaigned for Scotland to remain part of the United Kingdom in the 2014 independence referendum.

In May 2009, The Daily Telegraph reported that Darling changed the designation of his second home four times in four years, allowing him to claim for the costs of his family home in Edinburgh, and to buy and furnish a flat in London including the cost of stamp duty and other legal fees. Darling said that “the claims were made within House of Commons rules”.

Nick Clegg, Leader of the Liberal Democrats, criticised him by saying: “given that very unique responsibility that [Darling] has [as Chancellor], it’s simply impossible for him to continue in that role when such very major question marks are being raised about his financial affairs”.

A former Scottish Labour Chairman and treasurer described Darling’s position as “untenable” and said that “[Darling] certainly shouldn’t be in the Cabinet”.

On 1 June 2009, Darling apologised “unreservedly” about a mistaken claim for £700, which he had agreed to repay. He was supported by the Prime Minister, who referred to the incident as an inadvertent mistake.

In 2010, he resigned from the Faculty of Advocates as they were investigating a complaint about his expense claims. Darling denied any connection between the two events.