Alistair Darling dies

[Alex]

He was only 70, can't remember much about him either, except he was Labour.  RIP

[klondike]

From the name all I seem to remember is prematurely white hair and possibly a Scot. Must have been a minister of something or other and during the Blair/Brown years or I'd never have heard of him.

RIP

[Michael Rolls]

he was chancellor of the exchequer during the 2008 crisis and is credited with ensuring that it wasn't as bad as it might have been. RIP

[Ashy]

Former MP and chancellor of the exchequer dies from cancer aged 70.

[GrannyMac]

No age. Not much retirement. RIP.

[Cassandra]

A great shame. Although contrary to many of my political opinions, a gentleman and a charming chap I always thought, with a fine brain. Did a good job in the /'US 'printing press' inspired world bank crash (their 4th) in 2009/10 and calmly helped stabilise the world markets.

My sincerest sympathies to his family and friends - thank you Alistair dear chap, requiesce in pace

[Raven]

He was a politician when they were proper politicians, and people knew what their party stood for.
Not like today's "what's in it for me" lot who play at being politicians. They no longer serve the people who voted them in and trusted them. Being a politician is nothing to be proud of today. 
No offence to anybody, it's just how I feel.

[Cassandra]

Couldn't put it better, would have made a good Prime Minister, a man who tempered his early beliefs into solid reality and competence. As Raven said above, an almost extinct breed now

https://www.newstatesman.com/politics/uk-politics/2023/11/britain-was-lucky-to-have-alistair-darling

[Diasi]

He was a politician when they were proper politicians, and people knew what their party stood for.
Not like today's "what's in it for me" lot who play at being politicians. They no longer serve the people who voted them in and trusted them. Being a politician is nothing to be proud of today. 
No offence to anybody, it's just how I feel.

I agree & Frank Field, again Labour, was another good Party leader who never was.

[GrannyMac]

I'm with you on that Phi, I thought Frank Field was unfairly sidelined.

[Michael Rolls]

I thought Frank Field had a really good grasp of reality - which tends to be a death sentence in the Labour party

[Alex]

Brilliant bloke and a Brexiteer too.

[GrannyMac]

I always thought he was a quiet Conservative with a very small c. 

[Alex]

I took an interest only because he was up the road from me and he was quite famous.  He started off as a Conservative as his parents both were, I can't remember what made him defect to Labour.

[Cassandra]

I always thought he was a quiet Conservative with a very small c.

An out and out Marxist in his student days ... a committed Socialist all his life, and thankfully not headstrong into ideology without facts.

I learnt long ago that rationality cannot be defined by alternatives and I always felt Alistair shared the same pragmatism.