The death of Alistair Darling is a grievous loss. British politics has lost a man of decency, character, integrity and humour. He was a good man, in a world where good men are scarce.
Darling’s most prominent role in politics was as chancellor to prime minister Gordon Brown from 2007 until 2010, a turbulent period defined by a global financial crisis and the related economic slump.
Not everyone who seeks or wins elected office, or supports the people who do, is nasty, cynical and underhand
Others will offer wider appraisals of Darling’s career, but I think that spell in Brown’s cabinet deserves close attention, not just because of what it tells us about the man himself but because of the importance of fairly and accurately remembering the past and the comparative record of public figures.
You’ll search in vain for a speech or interview from Darling talking about his own integrity or decency, but his actions were those of a man who always believed in behaving properly and respectfully – and who demanded the same standards of others.
One story that always sticks in the memory was a Whitehall meeting where one of Brown’s most senior aides shouted angry abuse at one of Darling’s Treasury officials.
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