Alistair Darling has died after a short illness aged 70, his family has confirmed.

Darling served as Chancellor in Gordon Brown’s government after Tony Blair stood down as Prime Minister.

He later led the victorious Better Together campaign in the 2014 independence referendum, defeating Alex Salmond’s nationalists.

The former Edinburgh South West MP stepped down from the Commons in 2015 and later retired from the Lords.

A statement issued on behalf of his family said: “The death of Alistair Darling, a former Chancellor of the Exchequer and long-serving member of the Labour cabinet, was announced in Edinburgh today.

“Mr Darling, the much-loved husband of Margaret and beloved father of Calum and Anna, died after a short spell in Western General Hospital under the wonderful care of the cancer team.”