Socttish independence: Darling’s fight for union takes priority

ALISTAIR Darling has insisted he would reject a return to Labour’s shadow cabinet, in order to focus on leading the pro-Union campaign in the independence referendum.

The former chancellor will head the cross-party campaign to retain Scotland’s place in the UK, which is expected to be launched in the coming weeks.

His handling of the financial crisis in 2008 won the Edinburgh MP many plaudits, but despite speculation linking him with a role in Ed Miliband’s shadow cabinet in an economic brief, Mr Darling insists the pro-Union campaign would occupy his full attention.

“I need to spend a lot of time on this campaign, and it’s so important, not just for Scotland, but for the whole of the UK – you really couldn’t do two jobs like that and give either of them the justice they would deserve,” he said.

“I’ve made it very clear that this is what I intend to do between now and the referendum date, probably the back of 2014, although I wish it was much earlier. That’s a big commitment, and that’s what I intend to do.”

Mr Darling commissioned an opinion poll last week to coincide with the launch of the Yes Scotland campaign. It indicated support for independence stood at 33 per cent, with 57 per cent of Scots against leaving the UK.

“The referendum on the future of Scotland and whether we stay in the UK or whether we leave, that is very, very front-line,” he said.

“I’ve said that I intend to play a very, very full part in that. That’s going to absorb a lot of my time between now and the referendum.”