The world according to Alistair Darling

There was a time when  “http://blogs.wsj.com/iainmartin/2010/04/30/alistair-darling-labours-caretaker-leader-in-waiting/”>commentators on the right thought that Alistair Darling may become Labour leader, such
was the respect he commanded. Alone among Brown’s Cabinet, Darling rose above the ideological opportunism and infighting to emerge with his reputation enhanced.

Darling is ready to tell of his part in New Labour’s downfall. This morning’s Independent “http://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/profiles/alistair-darling-we-were-two-hours-from-the-cashpoints-running-dry-2245350.html”>previews the book by interviewing the former chancellor.
Typically, perhaps, for the studious-looking Darling, he is not ‘spicing things up’ (it’s rather wonderful that he doesn’t use a derivative of ‘sex’ here). He
promises to the ‘write the story down’ and is adamant that there will be none of the ‘gratuitous kiss and tell stuff’.

Other than these mild editorial pointers, Darling uses the interview to make four points about contemporary politics. Mervyn King, he tells us, is uncomfortable with being George Osborne’s
political pawn; Nick Clegg and Danny Alexander are King David and Queen George’s court fools; Osborne is cutting too far, too fast; and, finally, the Treasury has a Plan B that Osborne will
be surreptitiously implementing.