Shadow Cabinet posts

Shadow Chancellor of the Exchequer
In office 11 May 2010 – 8 October 2010
Leader	Harriet Harman (acting) Ed Miliband
Preceded by	George Osborne
Succeeded by	Alan Johnson
Shadow Chief Secretary to the Treasury
In office 25 July 1996 – 2 May 1997
Leader	Tony Blair
Preceded by	Harriet Harman
Succeeded by	David Heathcoat-Amory

Parliamentary offices

Member of the House of Lords
Lord Temporal
Life peerage 1 December 2015 – 28 July 2020
Member of Parliament for Edinburgh South West Edinburgh Central (1987–2005)
In office 11 June 1987 – 30 March 2015
Preceded by	Alex Fletcher
Succeeded by	Joanna Cherry

Personal details

Born

Alistair Maclean Darling

28 November 1953
Hendon, Middlesex, England

Died

30 November 2023 (aged 70)
Edinburgh, Scotland

Political party

Labour

Spouse

Margaret Vaughan

(m. 1986)

Children

Alma mater

University of Aberdeen

Signature

Alistair Maclean Darling, Baron Darling of Roulanish (28 November 1953 – 30 November 2023) was an important British politician. He was a member of the Labour Party. From 2007 to 2010, he served as Chancellor of the Exchequer under Prime Minister Gordon Brown. This role is like being the country's chief financial manager.

Darling was also a Member of Parliament (MP) for 28 years. He represented areas in Edinburgh from 1987 to 2015. Before becoming Chancellor, he held several other important government jobs. He was a key figure during the financial crisis of 2007–2008. Later, he led the campaign for Scotland to remain part of the United Kingdom.

Alistair Darling's Early Life and Career
Becoming a Member of Parliament
- Working in the Shadow Cabinet
Alistair Darling in Government
- Chancellor of the Exchequer
  - Government Budgets
  - Economic Challenges
Later Activities
Personal Life
- Death
Images for kids
See also

Alistair Darling's Early Life and Career

Alistair Darling was born in London, England, on November 28, 1953. His father was a civil engineer. Alistair went to school in Surrey and Scotland. He then studied law at the University of Aberdeen. He became the president of the university's student council.

In 1977, at age 23, Darling joined the Labour Party. He first worked as a solicitor and then as an advocate. In 1982, he was elected to the Lothian Regional Council. This was a local government body. He served on the council until he became an MP.

Becoming a Member of Parliament

Darling became a Member of Parliament (MP) in 1987. He won the election for the Edinburgh Central area. An MP is a person elected to represent a group of people in the national parliament. He continued to be an MP for Edinburgh for 28 years.

Later, his constituency changed to Edinburgh South West. He worked hard to represent his local area. Even when he was a senior government minister, he focused on his constituents.

Working in the Shadow Cabinet

Before his party won the election, Darling was part of the Shadow Cabinet. This is a group of senior politicians from the main opposition party. They act as a "shadow government," watching over the actual government's departments. Darling was the Shadow Chief Secretary to the Treasury in 1996.

Alistair Darling in Government

When the Labour Party won the general election in 1997, Alistair Darling joined the government. He became a member of the Cabinet. The Cabinet is a group of the most important ministers chosen by the Prime Minister.

His first Cabinet job was Chief Secretary to the Treasury. This role helps manage the country's money. In 1998, he became Secretary of State for Work and Pensions. This department handles things like benefits and employment.

From 2002 to 2006, Darling was the Secretary of State for Transport. He was in charge of the country's transport systems. He helped create Network Rail, which manages train tracks. He also supported the Crossrail project, a big new railway line under London.

In 2003, he also became Secretary of State for Scotland. This meant he looked after Scottish affairs within the UK government. In 2006, he moved to become Secretary of State for Trade and Industry. This role focused on business and trade rules.

Chancellor of the Exchequer

Alistair Darling with Christine Lagarde and Timothy Geithner in Istanbul

In June 2007, Gordon Brown became Prime Minister. He chose Alistair Darling to be the new Chancellor of the Exchequer. This is one of the most powerful jobs in the government, responsible for the country's economy.

Darling served as Chancellor during a very difficult time. The world faced a major financial crisis in 2007-2008. This crisis affected banks and economies globally. Darling had to make big decisions to help the UK economy. For example, he helped to support Northern Rock, a British bank that faced problems. He also helped with a plan to support other banks in 2008.

Government Budgets

As Chancellor, Darling presented the government's annual Budget. This is a plan for how the government will raise and spend money.

In his 2009 Budget, he announced a special payment to encourage people to trade in old cars for new ones. He also introduced a higher tax rate for people earning a lot of money.
His final Budget was in March 2010, just before a general election.

Economic Challenges

In 2008, Darling warned that the economic times were "arguably the worst they've been in 60 years." He believed it would be a long-lasting problem. He later said that the country was very close to a major breakdown if banks had not been helped.

One challenge he faced was about a change to income tax. An earlier change meant some low-income workers would pay more tax. Darling announced a plan to help these workers by increasing a tax-free allowance.

Later Activities

After the Labour Party lost the 2010 general election, Alistair Darling decided to step down from his senior political role. He returned to being a regular MP.

Expenses Claims

In 2009, there were questions about some of Darling's expenses claims as an MP. He said that his claims followed the rules. He later apologized for one mistaken claim and repaid £700.

Better Together Campaign

Darling in 2014

From 2012 to 2014, Darling led the Better Together campaign. This group wanted Scotland to remain part of the United Kingdom. He played a big role in the 2014 Scottish independence referendum. He took part in televised debates against Alex Salmond, who was the First Minister of Scotland and supported independence. The "No" vote, which Darling supported, won the referendum.

Joining the House of Lords

In 2015, Alistair Darling was given a life peerage. This meant he became a member of the House of Lords. The House of Lords is the second chamber of the UK Parliament. He was known as Baron Darling of Roulanish. He retired from the House of Lords in 2020.

Personal Life

Alistair Darling was married to Margaret McQueen Vaughan from 1986 until his death. They had two children, a son named Calum and a daughter named Anna. Margaret Vaughan used to be a journalist. Darling enjoyed listening to music from bands like Pink Floyd and Coldplay.

Death

Alistair Darling died from cancer on November 30, 2023, in Edinburgh. He was 70 years old. Many important political figures, including former Prime Minister Gordon Brown, paid tribute to him.

Images for kids

Alistair Darling's signature

Alistair Darling facts for kids

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