The Labour Party stalwart became a household name when the then-prime minister gave him the keys to the Treasury back in 2007 - running the department throughout the global banking crisis and staying in post until Mr Brown lost the election in 2010.

But he had been a presence in Tony Blair's government from the start, beginning as chief secretary to the Treasury in 1997 following Labour's landslide victory, and going on to run a number of departments - including work and pensions, transport and trade.

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Lord Darling's family confirmed the news on Thursday, saying he had died after a short spell in Western General Hospital under the "wonderful care" of the cancer team.

In their statement, they described him as "the much-loved husband of Margaret and beloved father of Calum and Anna".

After the news was announced, tributes poured in from all sides of the political spectrum, led by Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer, who said he had "lived a life devoted to public service".

He said Lord Darling's "calm expertise and honesty" as chancellor helped guide the country through the 2008 financial crisis, but that his "greatest professional pride" was serving his constituents in Edinburgh as an MP between 1987 and 2015.

Echoing the sentiment, ex-prime minister Mr Brown tweeted that he "like many, relied on his wisdom, calmness in a crisis and his humour", adding: "He will be missed by all who knew him."

Despite being Born in London, Lord Darling came from a long line of Scots, and returned to the country for school, before going to the University of Aberdeen, where he became president of the Student's Representative Council.

After graduating, he became a solicitor, but having joined Labour aged just 23, it wasn't long before he changed course to enter politics, being elected as a councillor on the Lothian Regional Council in 1982.

Then Mr Darling, he became the MP for Edinburgh South in the 1987 election, ousting the Conservative candidate from the seat. When that constituency was abolished in 2005, he ran for - and won - the seat of Edinburgh South West until he left the Commons in 2015.

Lord Darling also played a prominent role in the Scottish independence referendum in 2014 as the chairman of the "Better Together" campaign.

Former first minister and and SNP leader, Nicola Sturgeon, said despite the "clashes" the pair had over the country's future, she "always found him to be a man of intellect and principle", adding: "He made a significant contribution to politics and public life."

Lord Darling became a peer in 2015 - named as Baron Darling of Roulanish - but he retired from the Lords in 2020.