A MEMORIAL service for the former Chancellor of the Exchequer Alistair Darling will take place in Edinburgh on Tuesday.
Mourners will gather at a memorial service at St Mary’s Episcopal Cathedral in the Scottish capital at 11am after a private cremation took place on Monday.
Among those in attendance will be former prime ministers Sir Tony Blair and Gordon Brown (below), Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer and the current shadow chancellor, Rachel Reeves.
Darling died on November 30, aged 70, following a stay in hospital where he was being treated for cancer.
He served as a Labour MP between 1987 and 2015, first for Edinburgh Central and then for Edinburgh South West.
Darling was one of the figureheads of the Better Together campaign during the independence referendum in 2014, notably going against then-SNP leader and first minister Alex Salmond in televised debates. He was also chancellor during the turbulent 2008 financial crisis and was widely credited for his “calmness in a crisis”.
Politicians from across the political spectrum, including Humza Yousaf, Alex Salmond, Gordon Brown, Patrick Harvie and Jeremy Hunt, paid tribute as the news broke of his death last month.
The First Minister wrote: “I am deeply saddened to hear of Alistair’s passing. He dedicated his life to public service and was a giant of Scottish politics.
“My thoughts with his wife Margaret, children, family, friends and colleagues at this sad time.”
Meanwhile, former Labour prime minister Brown praised his role in the Better Together campaign.
He said in a statement: “As the chair of the Better Together campaign for the 2014 Scottish referendum he was resolute and courageous in making the case for Scotland’s place in the United Kingdom.
"He was held in the highest esteem by me and all who worked with him for the way in which he handled the fall of the major banks and negotiated international agreements with fellow finance ministers."
“I, like many, relied on his wisdom, calmness in a crisis and his humour.”
Starmer also paid tribute to him, saying his loss to the party would be “immeasurable”.
“Alistair lived a life devoted to public service,” said Starmer.
He added: “He will be remembered as the chancellor whose calm expertise and honesty helped to guide Britain through the tumult of the global financial crisis.
“He was a lifelong advocate for Scotland and the Scottish people and his greatest professional pride came from representing his constituents in Edinburgh.
“I consider myself incredibly fortunate to have benefited from Alistair’s counsel and friendship.
“He was always at hand to provide advice built on his decades of experience – always with his trademark wry, good humour.
“Alistair will be missed by all those whose lives he touched. His loss to the Labour Party, his friends and his family is immeasurable.”
Darling is survived by his wife, Maggie and his two children.
