Alistair Darling is a British Labour party politician and a member of parliament since 1987 for Edinburgh south west. He has been the Shadow chancellor of the Exchequer since May 2010, and served as the chancellor of the Exchequer from 2007 to 2010. He has served in the cabinet for Labour. He was at the Edinburgh Book festival 2010 to talk about his three eventful years in number 11 Downing street.