Alistair Darling only saved the country

Alistair Darling was one of the most consequential politicians of the past half-century but he had the misfortune to be a quiet, self-effacing man and so the scale of his contributions has never been recognised. He was not by nature a Westminster man, not someone who lived for briefings and gossip and the soap opera stuff. He courted journalists who had to be courted, met with City figures who had to be met, but it was never about the game for him, and not even the players, but about the results. 

There was an austerity about his demeanour – to certain London commentators he was just another dour Scot – but this solemnity was a reflection of the seriousness of the work. In private, he was warm, witty, convivial, and generous with both his time and his claret. He was a humble, dignified man and though he was treated shoddily by No.