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Alistair Darling
Labour MP for Edinburgh South West
- Also represented Edinburgh Central
- Entered Parliament on 11 June 1987 — General election
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- Voting record
- Topics of interest
- Most recent appearances
- Numerology
- Register of Members’ Interests
- Expenses
Voting record (from PublicWhip)
How Alistair Darling voted on key issues since 2001:
- Voted very strongly for the Iraq war. votes
- Voted strongly against an investigation into the Iraq war. votes
- Voted strongly for Labour's anti-terrorism laws. votes
- Voted moderately for replacing Trident. votes
- Voted strongly for equal gay rights. votes
- Voted moderately for university tuition fees. votes
- Voted against raising England’s undergraduate tuition fee cap to £9,000 per year. votes
- Voted a mixture of for and against a more proportional system for electing MPs. votes
- Voted moderately for a smoking ban. votes
- Has never voted on the hunting ban. votes
- Voted moderately for a stricter asylum system. votes
- Voted a mixture of for and against a transparent Parliament. votes
- Voted very strongly for introducing foundation hospitals. votes
- Voted moderately for more EU integration. votes
- Voted very strongly for introducing ID cards. votes
- Voted strongly against increasing the rate of VAT. votes
- Voted very strongly for allowing ministers to intervene in inquests. votes
- Voted moderately for removing hereditary peers from the House of Lords. votes
- Voted moderately for a wholly elected House of Lords. votes
- Voted a mixture of for and against laws to stop climate change. votes
- Voted a mixture of for and against automatic enrolment in occupational pensions. votes
- Voted moderately against encouraging occupational pensions. votes
- Voted moderately against greater autonomy for schools. votes
Read about how the voting record is decided.
More on well-known issues (from the Guardian) & their full record
- Never rebels against their party in this parliament.
Topics of interest
Asks most questions about
- Departments: Treasury, Home Department, Defence, Transport, Work and Pensions
- Subjects (based on headings added by Hansard): Military Bases, Identity and Passport Service: Correspondence, Public Expenditure, Financial Services: Regulation, Jobcentre Plus: Crimes of Violence
(based on written questions asked by Alistair Darling and answered by departments)
Most recent appearances
- Oral Answers to Questions — Defence: Banking Commission Report (19 Dec 2011)
“I welcome the Vickers report and I am glad to hear that it is being implemented, but will the Chancellor be careful about overselling this? This would not have stopped the failure of Northern Rock or HBOS, and the idea that a future Government might decline to step in and rescue an investment bank if it failed is simply not credible. Look what happened to Lehmans when the Americans tried...”
- Chancellor of the Exchequer: The Economy (6 Dec 2011)
“I hope that the hon. Member for Skipton and Ripon (Julian Smith) will forgive me for not following him, given the short time I have available. The real problem we face in this country, in Europe and, to a large extent, in America too, is the lack of growth. The Chancellor opened his remarks by saying that the previous Government had been too optimistic about some of their forecasts. He...”
- Chancellor of the Exchequer: The Economy (6 Dec 2011)
“I am, and I shall come on to that in a minute, but I want to make a further point. If the OBR comes out with another downward revision of its figures at the time of the Budget next March, does it mean that we are going to embark on yet another round of reducing expenditure? It this not the same sort of argument that we had in the 1930s? The prevailing orthodoxy did not work then, and it will...”
More of Alistair Darling's recent appearances
Numerology
Please note that numbers do not measure quality. Also, representatives may do other things not currently covered by this site. (More about this)
- Has spoken in 11 debates in the last year — well below average amongst MPs.
- Has received answers to 18 written questions in the last year — below average amongst MPs.
- Replied within 2 or 3 weeks to a medium number of messages sent via WriteToThem.com during 2008, according to constituents.
- Has voted in 51.00% of votes in this Parliament with this affiliation — well below average amongst MPs. (From Public Whip)
- People have made 68 annotations on this MP’s speeches — well above average amongst MPs.
- This MP's speeches, in Hansard, are readable by an average 17–18 year old, going by the Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level score.
- 78 people are tracking this MP — email me updates on Alistair Darling’s activity.
- Has used three-word alliterative phrases (e.g. "she sells seashells") 2461 times in debates — well above average amongst MPs. (Why is this here?)
Register of Members’ Interests
2. Remunerated employment, office, profession etc
9 October 2010, I received a fee of £150 for speaking at the Cheltenham Book Festival. Travel and overnight accommodation was provided for myself and my wife. Address: Cheltenham Festivals, 109/11 Bath Road, Cheltenham GL53 7LS. Hours: 3 hrs approx. (Registered 2 November 2010)
22 October 2010, I received a fee of £500 for reviewing Tony Blair’s book ‘A Journey’. Address of payer: Guardian News and Media, 1 Scott Place, Manchester M3 3GG. Hours: 3-4 hrs. (Registered 2 November 2010)
5 November 2010, I received a fee of £500 for appearing on BBC television programme ‘This Week’. Address of payer: BBC, PO Box 480, Manchester M14 OEL. Hours: 1 hr. (Registered 24 November 2010)
7 December 2010, I received a bottle of malt whisky, estimated value £125, from Hermes Focus Asset Management Ltd, 1 Portsoken Street, London E1 8HZ, for addressing investment managers at a dinner on 15 November 2010. Hours: 3 hrs. (Registered 17 December 2010)
Contract with Atlantic Books, Ormond House, 26/27 Boswell street, London WC1N 3JW for publication of book. The contract provides for a total advance payment of £75,000 prior to publication.
3 March 2011, I received a payment of £25,000 being the first instalment of an advance in respect of contract. Hours: 400 hrs approx. (Registered 24 March 2011)
7 July 2011, I received a payment of £25,000 being the second instalment of an advance in respect of contract. Hours: 600 hrs approx. (Registered 8 July 2011)
15 September 2011, I received a payment of £25,000 being the third instalment of an advance. Hours: 400 hrs approx. (Registered 2 October 2011)
13 October 2011, I received a payment of £10,000 as VAT due in respect of the second and third instalments of advance. (Registered 4 November 2011)
In respect of the contract with Atlantic Books I have attended the following events . No fee was paid to me but transport and accommodation costs were met as follows:
11 September 2011, Dun Laoghaire Literary Festival, 137 Hillside, Co Dublin, Ireland. Transport costs of £616.30 for myself and my wife met by Atlantic Books. Accommodation paid for by the festival organisers; cost £105. Hours: approximately 2 hrs plus travel. (Registered 2 October 2011)
16 September 2011, Woodstock Literary Festival, 301 Woodstock Road, Oxford OX2 3NY. Transport costs for myself and my wife of £132.60 paid by festival organisers and £43 paid for by Atlantic Books. Hours: approximately 2 hrs plus travel. (Registered 2 October 2011)
19 September 2011, book signing organised by the Edinburgh Bookshop, 219 Bruntsfield Place, Edinburgh EH10, who met costs of £109.50. Additional cost of £48 met by Atlantic Books. Hours: approximately 2 hrs plus travel. (Registered 2 October 2011)
21 September 2011, Ely Book Festival. Transport costs £264.72 paid by Atlantic Books. Hours: approximately 2 hrs plus travel. (Registered 2 October 2011)
30 September 2011, Henley Festival. Transport costs £264.65 paid by Atlantic Books. Festival organisers paid for additional transport and a gift of wine; total cost £82. Hours: approximately 2 hrs plus travel. (Registered 2 October 2011)
5 October 2011, Wimbledon Book Festival, 1 Archway Mews, 241 Putney Bridge Road, London SW15 2PE. Transport costs of £58.15 plus VAT for my wife and me paid by festival organisers. Flights Edinburgh to London paid by Atlantic books; cost £138. Hours: approximately 2 hrs plus travel. (Registered 15 October 2011)
8 October 2011, Cheltenham Book Festival. 109/11 Bath Road, Cheltenham GL53 7LS. Transport and accommodation costs of £183.15 for my wife and me paid by festival organisers. Hours: 24 hrs. (Registered 15 October 2011)
13 October 2011, event organised by City Books, 23 Western Road, Hove BN3. Event costs of £770 (plus VAT) plus transport and refreshment costs of £69 for my wife and me paid by Atlantic Books. I also received a book token worth £50. Hours: approximately 2 hrs plus travel. (Registered 15 October 2011)
22 October 2011, Durham Book Festival. The cost of return transport for my wife and me from Edinburgh to Durham; estimated cost £159, and our overnight accommodation; estimated cost £109, was paid for by East Coast Trains and Radisson Blu Hotels respectively, in their capacity as festival sponsors. Hours: approximately 2 hrs plus travel. (Registered 4 November 2011)
28 October 2011, Hebridean Book Festival, Stornaway. Air transport from Edinburgh to Stornoway for my wife and me provided by Atlantic Books; cost £426.12. No accommodation costs. Hours: approximately 2 hrs plus travel. (Registered 4 November 2001)
4 November 2011, Lennoxlove Book Festival, Lennoxlove House, Haddington, East Lothian. Accommodation provided for my wife and me; value £225. Hours: approximately 2 hrs plus travel. (Registered 4 November 2011)
27 November 2011, Cambridge Wordfest Winter 2011, 7 Downing Place, Cambridge CB2 3EL. Transport costs from Edinburgh to Cambridge and on to London were paid by Atlantic Books at a cost of £185 for myself and my wife. Overnight accommodation was provided; value £205. (Registered 28 November 2011)
Payments from The Times newspaper, 3 Thomas More Square, London E98 1TT:
28 March 2011, I received six bottles of wine, approximate value £89, from The Times, in respect of chairing a session at a conference organised by the newspaper. Hours: 3 hrs approx. (Registered 6 April 2011)
8 July 2011, I received a fee of £600 for an article for The Times. Hours: 3-4 approx. (Registered 8 July 2011)
Fees for speeches paid by JLA Associates, 80 Great Portland Street, London W1W 7NW:
20 October 2010, I received a fee of £9,350 for addressing the Association of Financial Markets in Europe. Hours: 6-7 hours approx. (Registered 2 November 2010)
26 November 2010, I received a fee of £10,200 for addressing a seminar organised by Dewey & leBoeuf, solicitors, London. Hours: 6-7 approx. (Registered 9 December 2010)
1 February 2011, I received a fee of £12,750 for speaking at The Centre of Political and Foreign Affairs in Paris. Transport from Edinburgh to Paris and returning to London was provided for myself and my wife; total cost £1,902. Accommodation was also provided for myself and my wife; total cost £1,345.77. Hours: approx 48 hrs. (Registered 13 February 2011)
7 April 2011, I received a fee of £10,200 for addressing a dinner organised by Cinven, London. Hours: approx 6 hrs. (Registered 25 April 2011)
7 April 2011, I received a fee of £12,750 for addressing a dinner organised by Macquarrrie Group, London. Hours: approx 6 hrs. (Registered 25 April 2011)
23 June 2011, I received a fee of £15,300 for speaking at an event organised by Bloombergs in London. Hours: 6-7 approx. (Registered 8 July 2011)
16 November 2011, I received a fee of £10,500 for speaking at an event organised by the Bank of New York Mellon/Pershing, in London. Hours: approx 5-6 hrs. (Registered 28 November 2011)
6. Overseas visits
Name of donor: Meridiam
Address of donor: 5 Allee Scheffer, L-2520 Luxembourg
Amount of donation (or estimate of the probable value): train fare and accommodation in Paris; total value £937.61
Destination of visit: Paris
Date of visit: 26 April 2011
Purpose of visit: attending seminar
(Registered 17 May 2011)
Register last updated: 13 Jan 2012. More about the Register
View the history of this MP's entries in the Register
Expenses
Figures in brackets are ranks.Data from parliament.uk (source). Read 2004/05 – 2008/09 and 1st quarter 2009/10 receipts.
| Type | 2008/09 (ranking out of 647) | 2007/08 (ranking out of 645) | 2006/07 (ranking out of 645) | 2005/06 | 2004/05 (ranking out of 659) | 2003/04 (ranking out of 658) | 2002/03 (ranking out of 657) | 2001/02 (ranking out of 657) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Staying away from main home | £10,626 (497th) | £9,837 (554th) | £20,675 (364th) | £19,436 | £15,341 (481st) | £15,406 (459th) | £14,792 (525th) | £15,756 (229th) |
| London costs | £0 | £0 | £0 | £0 | £1,618 (joint 1st with 118 others) | £1,574 (joint 1st with 101 others) | £1,527 (joint 1st with 101 others) | £1,227 (joint 1st with 81 others) |
| Office running costs | £12,848 (510th) | £19,085 (291st) | £19,137 (425th) | £20,919 | £17,591 (378th) | £16,151 (551st) | £16,113 (joint 513th with 1 other) | £10,259 (518th) |
| Staffing costs | £97,284 (263rd) | £90,933 (158th) | £81,725 (409th) | £83,991 | £65,468 (532nd) | £62,983 (540th) | £52,399 (610th) | £27,874 (636th) |
| Communications Allowance | £9,960 (joint 243rd with 1 other) | £7,579 (354th) | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Members' Travel | £8,504 (267th)1 | £11,367 (164th)2 | £12,045 (133rd)3 | £12,360 | £13,253 (208th) | £13,633 (188th) | £14,575 (156th) | £11,375 (159th) |
| Members' Staff Travel | £327 (223rd) | £591 (178th) | £362 (256th) | £39 | £0 | £257 (344th) | £0 | £0 |
| Members' Spouse Travel | £5,781 (4th) | £5,283 (4th) | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Members' Family Travel | £1,232 (13th) | £4,391 (2nd) | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Centrally Purchased Stationery | £1,882 (530th) | £423 (joint 534th with 1 other) | £251 (621st) | £595 | £992 (297th) | £399 (562nd) | £580 (535th) | £87 (644th) |
| Stationery: Associated Postage Costs | £1,394 (491st) | £1,745 (454th) | £1,032 | £1,964 (410th) | £914 (576th) | N/A | N/A | |
| Centrally Provided Computer Equipment | £1,021 (562nd) | £914 (550th) | £733 | £1,412 (598th) | £1,412 (587th) | £1,412 (571st) | £1,018 (558th) | |
| Other Costs | £0 | £0 | £0 | £0 | £0 | £0 | £0 | £0 |
| Total | £148,444 (345th) | £151,904 (240th) | £136,854 (341st) | £139,105 | £117,639 (446th) | £112,729 (471st) | £101,398 (527th) | £67,596 (614th) |
1 Regular journeys between home/constituency/Westminster: Rail £1,956 (357th). Air £6,548 (59th).
2 Regular journeys between home/constituency/Westminster: Mileage £248 (575th). Rail £1,086 (428th). Air £10,033 (39th).