Sir Alistair Darling

Axe_meister

BBC News - Former Chancellor Alistair Darling dies aged 70

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-67578993

Got dealt a shitty hand and navigated is fairly well. As politicians go a fairly good egg.

ICBM

He was my MP in Edinburgh in the 80s/90s - I always thought he was pretty decent and honest for a politician.

Definitely did the right thing in the banking crash - when most others, including Brown, were dithering he realised the implications of failing to intervene. Then Brown took most of the credit anyway…

rze99

RIP seemed like a hardworking high integrity public servant. We need those. We really do.

As a younger man he looked like a rock star

I know a man that went out with his daughter. Had nothing bad to say.

Kittyfrisk

A genuine politician, regardless of tribal polarity.
A decent man with principles, doing his best in a measured manner whatever the circumstances.
RIP.

Philly_Q

His chancellorship seems like it was a century ago, but as far as I can remember he seemed like an honest and decent guy.  Quite sad to hear this news today.  RIP.

tone1

Yep, my recollections were of a decent, honest chap with integrity….RIP 

GoFish

Who in Govt today could even aspire to his standards and integrity? RIP Darling.

SteveRobinson

ICBM said:

He was my MP in Edinburgh in the 80s/90s - I always thought he was pretty decent and honest for a politician.

Definitely did the right thing in the banking crash - when most others, including Brown, were dithering he realised the implications of failing to intervene. Then Brown took most of the credit anyway…

I disagree. Iceland prosecuted the bankers responsible and sentenced 36 of them to a total of 96 years in prison. Not much each maybe but we just maintained our guys' bonuses.

fretmeister

SteveRobinson said:

ICBM said:

He was my MP in Edinburgh in the 80s/90s - I always thought he was pretty decent and honest for a politician.

Definitely did the right thing in the banking crash - when most others, including Brown, were dithering he realised the implications of failing to intervene. Then Brown took most of the credit anyway…

I disagree. Iceland prosecuted the bankers responsible and sentenced 36 of them to a total of 96 years in prison. Not much each maybe but we just maintained our guys' bonuses.

A Chancellor doesn't have the power to do that here.

That's up to the AG and the DPP.

It's unfair to blame Darling for the failures of others.

darthed1981

SteveRobinson said:

ICBM said:

He was my MP in Edinburgh in the 80s/90s - I always thought he was pretty decent and honest for a politician.

Definitely did the right thing in the banking crash - when most others, including Brown, were dithering he realised the implications of failing to intervene. Then Brown took most of the credit anyway…

I disagree. Iceland prosecuted the bankers responsible and sentenced 36 of them to a total of 96 years in prison. Not much each maybe but we just maintained our guys' bonuses.

Sort of thing you can get away with if not within walking distance of the City and have a population smaller than Leicester.

Darling helped lead a global response to the economic crisis, his job of chancellor of a major economy.

The banks held all the cards at the time, the price was massive limitations on their freedom, most of which were recently removed... by the Tories.

RIP to a fine chancellor, who deserved to have a term or two to do much, much better than the little prick Osborne.  Thanks Britain.

sev112

Osborne was however the chancellor that allowed us to take our pensions in ways other than a terrible on the day annuity