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Alistair Darling, who served as chancellor under Gordon Brown, has died at the age of 70, his family has confirmed.

The Labour Party stalwart became a household name when the then-prime minister gave him the keys to the Treasury back in 2007 – running the department throughout the global banking crisis and staying in post until Mr Brown lost the election in 2010.

But he had been a presence in Tony Blair’s government from the start, beginning as chief secretary to the Treasury in 1997 following Labour’s landslide victory, and going on to run a number of departments – including work and pensions, transport and trade.

Politics latest: Tributes to former chancellor flood in from across UK

Lord Darling’s family confirmed the news on Thursday, saying he had died after a short spell in Western General Hospital under the “wonderful care” of the cancer team.

In their statement, they described him as “the much-loved husband of Margaret and beloved father of Calum and Anna”.

After the news was announced, tributes poured in from all sides of the political spectrum, led by Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer, who said he had “lived a life devoted to public service”.

He said Lord Darling’s “calm expertise and honesty” as chancellor helped guide the country through the 2008 financial crisis, but that his “greatest professional pride” was serving his constituents in Edinburgh as an MP between 1987 and 2015.

File photo dated 24/3/10 of chancellor Alistair Darling holds up his ministerial red box on the steps of 11 Downing Street, London, before heading to the House of Commons to announce the Government's budget plans. Former chancellor and veteran Labour politician Alistair Darling has died aged 70, a spokesperson on behalf of his family said. Issue date: Thursday November 30, 2023.
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He was perhaps best known for his time as chancellor

Echoing the sentiment, ex-prime minister Mr Brown tweeted that he “like many, relied on his wisdom, calmness in a crisis and his humour”, adding: “He will be missed by all who knew him.”

In another statement, Mr Blair said: “He was highly capable, though modest, understated but never to be underestimated, always kind and dignified even under the intense pressure politics can generate.

“He was the safest of safe hands. I knew he could be given any position in the Cabinet and be depended upon. I liked him and respected him immensely as a colleague and as a friend.”

One of his Conservative successors, Jeremy Hunt, described him as “one of the great chancellors”, saying he would be “remembered for doing the right thing for the country at a time of extraordinary turmoil”.

And the woman hoping to follow in his footsteps to the Treasury, shadow chancellor Rachel Reeves, said she would miss “his advice and his counsel – but, more than anything I will miss his friendship, his kindness and decency, his humour and his warmth”.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said Lord Darling’s passing “is a huge loss to us all”. He added: “The role he played during the 2014 Independence referendum was vital in keeping our union together. My deepest condolences go out to his family and friends at this difficult time.”

File photo dated 16/9/14 of Better Together campaign leader Alistair Darling and former Prime Minister Gordon Brown (right) during a campaign event at Clydebank Town Hall in Scotland. Former chancellor and veteran Labour politician Alistair Darling has died aged 70, a spokesperson on behalf of his family said. Issue date: Thursday November 30, 2023.
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Gordon Brown made him his righthand man after he moved into Number 10 in 2007

Despite being Born in London, Lord Darling came from a long line of Scots, and returned to the country for school, before going to the University of Aberdeen, where he became president of the Student’s Representative Council.

After graduating, he became a solicitor, but having joined Labour aged just 23, it wasn’t long before he changed course to enter politics, being elected as a councillor on the Lothian Regional Council in 1982.

He became the MP for Edinburgh South in the 1987 election, ousting the Conservative candidate from the seat. When that constituency was abolished in 2005, he ran for – and won – the seat of Edinburgh South West until he left the Commons in 2015.

Lord Darling also played a prominent role in the Scottish independence referendum in 2014 as the chairman of the “Better Together” campaign.

Former first minister and SNP leader, Nicola Sturgeon, said despite the “clashes” the pair had over the country’s future, she “always found him to be a man of intellect and principle”, adding: “He made a significant contribution to politics and public life.”

Better Together leader Alistair Darling launches the organisation's 100 Days to Go campaign during an event at Community Central Hall in Glasgow.
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Picture by: Danny Lawson/PA Archive/PA Images
Date taken: 09-Jun-2014
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Alistair Darling led the campaign for Scotland to remain in the UK

Lord Darling became a peer in 2015 – named as Baron Darling of Roulanish, He retired from the Lords in 2020.

His former cabinet colleagues from both the Blair and Brown years were among those marking his passing, with Hilary Benn calling him “an able, calm and thoughtful colleague” and Jacqui Smith praising his “warm, humble approach”.

From the other side of the Commons, former Tory prime minister Sir John Major described Lord Darling as “a decent man, who brought civility, reason and intelligence to politics”, while David Cameron said he was “thoroughly kind”.

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‘Shameful’ that black boys in London more likely to die than white boys, says Met Police chief

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'Shameful' that black boys in London more likely to die than white boys, says Met Police chief

It is “shameful” that black boys growing up in London are “far more likely” to die than white boys, Metropolitan Police chief Sir Mark Rowley has told Sky News.

The commissioner told Sunday Morning with Trevor Phillips that relations with minority communities “is difficult for us”.

Sir Mark, who came out of retirement to become head of the UK’s largest police force in 2022, said: “We can’t pretend otherwise that we’ve got a history between policing and black communities where policing has got a lot wrong.

“And we get a lot more right today, but we do still make mistakes. That’s not in doubt. I’m being as relentless in that as it can be.”

He said the “vast majority” of the force are “good people”.

However, he added: “But that legacy, combined with the tragedy that some of this crime falls most heavily in black communities, that creates a real problem because the legacy creates concern.”

Sir Mark, who also leads the UK’s counter-terrorism policing, said it is “not right” that black boys growing up in London “are far more likely to be dead by the time they’re 18” than white boys.

“That’s, I think, shameful for the city,” he admitted.

The Met Police chief’s admission comes two years after an official report found the force is institutionally racist, misogynistic and homophobic.

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Police chase suspected phone thief

Baroness Casey was commissioned in 2021 to look into the Met Police after serving police officer Wayne Couzens abducted, raped and murdered Sarah Everard.

She pinned the primary blame for the Met’s culture on its past leadership and found that stop and search and the use of force against black people was excessive.

At the time, Sir Mark, who had been commissioner for six months when the report was published, said he would not use the labels of institutionally racist, institutionally misogynistic and institutionally homophobic, which Casey insisted the Met deserved.

However, London Mayor Sadiq Khan, who helped hire Sir Mark – and could fire him – made it clear the commissioner agreed with Baroness Casey’s verdict.

After the report was released, Sir Mark said “institutional” was political language so he was not going to use it, but he accepted “we have racists, misogynists…systematic failings, management failings, cultural failings”.

A few months after the report, Sir Mark launched a two-year £366m plan to overhaul the Met, including increased emphasis on neighbourhood policing to rebuild public trust and plans to recruit 500 more community support officers and an extra 565 people to work with teams investigating domestic violence, sexual offences and child sexual abuse and exploitation.

Watch the full interview on Sunday Morning with Trevor Phillips from 8.30am on Sunday.

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Unite votes to suspend Angela Rayner over Birmingham bin strike

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Unite votes to suspend Angela Rayner over Birmingham bin strike

Labour’s largest union donor, Unite, has voted to suspend Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner over her role in the Birmingham bin strike row.

Members of the trade union, one of the UK’s largest, also “overwhelmingly” voted to “re-examine its relationship” with Labour over the issue.

They said Ms Rayner, who is also housing, communities and local government secretary, Birmingham Council’s leader, John Cotton, and other Labour councillors had been suspended for “bringing the union into disrepute”.

There was confusion over Ms Rayner’s membership of Unite, with her office having said she was no longer a member and resigned months ago and therefore could not be suspended.

But Unite said she was registered as a member. Parliament’s latest register of interests had her down as a member in May.

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The union said an emergency motion was put to members at its policy conference in Brighton on Friday.

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Unite is one of the Labour Party’s largest union donors, donating £414,610 in the first quarter of 2025 – the highest amount in that period by a union, company or individual.

The union condemned Birmingham’s Labour council and the government for “attacking the bin workers”.

Mountains of rubbish have been piling up in the city since January after workers first went on strike over changes to their pay, with all-out strike action starting in March. An agreement has still not been made.

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Rat catcher tackling Birmingham’s bins problem

Ms Rayner and the councillors had their membership suspended for “effectively firing and rehiring the workers, who are striking over pay cuts of up to £8,000”, the union added.

‘Missing in action’

General secretary Sharon Graham told Sky News on Saturday morning: “Angela Rayner, who has the power to solve this dispute, has been missing in action, has not been involved, is refusing to come to the table.”

She had earlier said: “Unite is crystal clear, it will call out bad employers regardless of the colour of their rosette.

“Angela Rayner has had every opportunity to intervene and resolve this dispute but has instead backed a rogue council that has peddled lies and smeared its workers fighting huge pay cuts.

“The disgraceful actions of the government and a so-called Labour council, is essentially fire and rehire and makes a joke of the Employment Relations Act promises.

“People up and down the country are asking whose side is the Labour government on and coming up with the answer not workers.”

SN pics from 10/04/25 Tyseley Lane, Tyseley, Birmingham showing some rubbish piling up because of bin strikes
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Piles of rubbish built up around Birmingham because of the strike over pay

Sir Keir Starmer’s spokesman said the government’s “priority is and always has been the residents of Birmingham”.

He said the decision by Unite workers to go on strike had “caused disruption” to the city.

“We’ve worked to clean up streets and remain in close contact with the council […] as we support its recovery,” he added.

A total of 800 Unite delegates voted on the motion.

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Binance’s CZ threatens to sue Bloomberg over Trump stablecoin report

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Binance’s CZ threatens to sue Bloomberg over Trump stablecoin report

Binance’s CZ threatens to sue Bloomberg over Trump stablecoin report

Binance co-founder CZ has dismissed a Bloomberg report linking him to the Trump-backed USD1 stablecoin, threatening legal action over alleged defamation.

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