Donald Dewar Memorial Lecture: Alistair Darling

Excited—and skeptical—whispers of speculation filled the RBS tent as a constant steam of people filed in, searching for the odd empty seat for this year’s highly anticipated Donald Dewar Memorial Lecture. Flatteringly introduced by BBC Scotland’s Political Editor Brian Taylor, the much beleaguered ex-Chancellor, Alistair Darling, took centre stage.

Speaking predominantly about the financial crisis, the role of the government with regard to the economy, strategies for recovery, and the role of banking, Darling predictably criticized the Osbourne/Cable tag-team for the extent of their cuts, claiming that it will only lead to higher unemployment, lower growth, and risk derailing the recovery altogether. He also argued that Cable’s proposal to break up banks would not work, and used the example of the small scale Northern Rock to support his cause.

Whilst still vouching for the successes of the Labour party in the past, Darling accepted that mistakes had been made, as is inevitably the case with any government. Darling’s focus, however, was largely on the future of the Labour Party, as he voiced the need to look at the challenges ahead.

Darling appeared relaxed and acquiescent; the former desperation which would often emanate from Labour politicians in the last days of their government was nowhere to be seen. Instead, Darling voiced his content at taking a step back from the front bench and letting David Miliband, and the other contenders for leadership, renew and regenerate the Labour Party.

Darling did not entirely make the confession which had been predicted. Watching news articles reel out on the internet after this lecture, it appears that the reporters of respective publications didn’t stay till the end, if indeed attend at all. One broadcaster writes: “Darling has launched an attack on Gordon Brown” whilst a newspaper headline reads: “Darling blames Labour’s election defeat on Gordon Brown’s aversion to talking about spending cuts.” These statements are entirely misguided, and do not take into consideration the fact that the lecture closed with Darling saying frankly, “There is such a thing as loyalty,” in response to a question about Gordon Brown, subsequently garnering unanimously enthusiastic applause from the audience.

The expectation that Darling would acknowledge the blunders made by both Gordon Brown and the Labour Party in the run up to the last election was, at the most, vaguely addressed in a characteristic political fudge. Darling recognized that the Labour Party failed to win votes as a result of not being able to instill in voters some hope, or concrete and convincing strategy of recovery for the future, as Labour “got sidetracked in a debate about investment over cuts.”

He did, however, continue to defend his economic policies and the political decisions he made with Gordon Brown: “I have sat in that cabinet for the last 12 years,” he said, claiming that he had many lengthy discussions with Brown, and if it hadn’t been for the policies they developed together, Britain would be in a far graver position than it is now. Darling ultimately suggested that it was the campaign and communication with the public that was fallible, and not the policy.