LONDON (Reuters) -Former British finance minister Alistair Darling, who steered the country’s economy through the shock of the global financial crisis in 2007-08, has died aged 70, a spokesperson for his family said on Thursday.
Darling was appointed chancellor of the exchequer by former prime minister Gordon Brown in June 2007, just as the crisis was brewing at some of the world’s biggest financial institutions.
He oversaw the rescue of British lender Northern Rock a few months into the job. In October 2008, he played a key role in the government’s 37 billion-pound ($47 billion)bailout of Royal Bank of Scotland, Lloyds TSB and HBOS to help them to survive the credit crunch.
Darling was a member of parliament between 1987 and 2015 and he served as chief secretary to the Treasury before being promoted to run the finance ministry by Brown.
“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,” a statement said.
($1 = 0.7906 pounds)
(Reporting by Muvija M and William Schomberg; Editing by Kate Holton)
