Gordon Brown said political briefings against Alistair Darling in 2008 were “completely unfair”, as he paid tribute to his former British chancellor following his death aged 70.
Mr Darling, who spent almost three decades as an MP and 13 years in British government under Sir Tony Blair and Mr Brown, died after spending time in hospital being treated for cancer.
In an interview with BBC Radio 4’s Today programme, Mr Brown said that Mr Darling was a “compassionate politician who wanted to get things done” but was “always very quiet in the way he did it”, adding that he was a statesman of “unimpeachable integrity”.
The former British prime minister said Mr Darling’s “patience as well as his calmness and composure and considered way of working” was vital to dealing with the banking crisis in 2008, adding that he deserved “a huge amount of credit for the economy recovering”.
Mr Darling had remarked in 2010 that Mr Brown’s No 10 had unleashed “the forces of hell” against him through negative briefings after he warned of a severe recession in 2008.
Today our thoughts are with the friends, family and former colleagues of Alistair Darling, Chancellor of the Exchequer from 2007 - 2010. pic.twitter.com/IhduagobqF
Advertisement— HM Treasury (@hmtreasury) November 30, 2023
Mr Brown said one of the problems of government was that “you have lots of people said to be briefing on your behalf who you don’t even know the names of”.
“So some of these things happen and you’ve got to apologise afterwards, but you don’t actually know who’s done these kind of briefings.”
Asked if he had apologised to Mr Darling over the briefings, Mr Brown said: “If there had been a briefing against him that was attributed to me, yes of course. I mean that was completely unfair.”
He added: “I never believed that this sort of surreptitious way of dealing with politics is in any way honest, or something that can be defended at all.”
Mr Brown said the former Edinburgh South West MP “did a great job” as chairman of the cross-party campaign set up to keep Scotland in the UK in the run-up to the 2014 independence referendum.
The former prime minister said Mr Darling was “dragooned” into leading the campaign, but had managed to bring together “different political factions that were usually at war with each other”.
After holding a series of British government posts, including transport secretary and Scottish secretary in the Blair government, Mr Darling was appointed chancellor when Mr Brown took over at No 10 in 2007.
Mr Brown said at one stage during his time in No 10, he offered Mr Darling the role of UK foreign secretary – but the offer was turned down because he wanted to remain in his post as chancellor.
The former prime minister said Mr Darling was one of the ministers that Sir Tony Blair would call on when there was a “department in trouble”.
Mr Blair described the veteran politician as having been a “rarity in politics”, adding he “never met anyone who didn’t like him”.
I am deeply saddened to learn of the passing of Alistair Darling. My heart goes out to his family, particularly Maggie, Calum and Anna, whom he loved so dearly. pic.twitter.com/o8xEconrIx
— Keir Starmer (@Keir_Starmer) November 30, 2023
He added: “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.”
A statement issued on behalf of Mr Darling’s family on Thursday said: “The death of Alistair Darling, a former chancellor of the Exchequer and long-serving member of the Labour cabinet, was announced in Edinburgh today.
“Mr Darling, the much-loved husband of Margaret and beloved father of Calum and Anna, died after a short spell in Western General Hospital under the wonderful care of the cancer team.”
Paying tribute to him, Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer said: “Alistair lived a life devoted to public service. He will be remembered as the chancellor whose calm expertise and honesty helped to guide Britain through the tumult of the global financial crisis.
Alistair Darling was calm, dependable, a safe pair of hands. But as his interview for our Harvard-Kings project on UK growth and regional divides shows, he was also a change-maker with a radical vision for how things could be better. He is hugely missed. https://t.co/8icPEwADTr
— Ed Balls (@edballs) November 30, 2023
“He was a lifelong advocate for Scotland and the Scottish people and his greatest professional pride came from representing his constituents in Edinburgh.
“Alistair will be missed by all those whose lives he touched. His loss to the Labour Party, his friends and his family is immeasurable.”
Rishi Sunak said: “Alistair Darling’s passing is a huge loss to us all.
“He was a dedicated public servant who served this country though challenging times.”
Mr Sunak said Mr Darling was “vital in keeping our union together” during the 2014 referendum.
Former Scottish first minister Alex Salmond, who led the campaign for independence in the 2014 referendum, described Mr Darling as a “hugely significant figure in UK politics” and an “effective politician”.
UK foreign secretary David Cameron, who was Tory leader while Mr Darling dealt with the global financial crisis, remembered the then-chancellor as a “thoroughly kind and decent man”.
He said Mr Darling led the Better Together campaign – which came when Lord Cameron was prime minister – “with great distinction and tenacity, securing Scotland’s place in our union”.
