His big bushy black eyebrows and snow-white hair make him a recognisable character around Westminster, but how much do you really know about the Chancellor of the Exchequer?
Early life
The son of a civil engineer and the great nephew of Sir William Darling (a Conservative MP for Edinburgh South during the 40s and 50s), Alistair Maclean Darling was born in London on 28 November 1953. After attending Scotland’s oldest private boarding school, the prestigious Loretto, he went onto study law at the University of Aberdeen.
Before being seduced by the world of politics, Alistair worked as a solicitor in Edinburgh and for the Scottish Bar where, in 1984, he was invited to become a member of the Faculty of Advocates – a body of independent lawyers who’ve been admitted to practise as Advocates before the Courts of Scotland. It's ancient organisation that dates right back to 1532, so it's a rather impressive feature on Darling's CV.
Politics beckons
The lawyer's keen interest in politics lead to him standing for MP at the 1987 General Election in Edinburgh Central. He was soon off to a flying start, beating the sitting Conservative MP by 2,262 votes.
His career in Parliament went from strength to strength. From 1997 to 1998 he served as Chief Secretary to the Treasury, before taking on the role of Secretary of State for Social Security between 1998 and 2001. Subsequently, 2002 saw him appointed Secretary of State of Transport, and in 2006 he became Secretary of State for Trade and Industry.
