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| Version 2 | Version 3 |
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| Alistair Darling: Gordon Brown as PM was 'chaos' | Alistair Darling: Gordon Brown as PM was 'chaos' |
| (40 minutes later) | |
| Gordon Brown's final years in office were pervaded by a "permanent air of chaos and crisis", according to former Labour chancellor Alistair Darling. | Gordon Brown's final years in office were pervaded by a "permanent air of chaos and crisis", according to former Labour chancellor Alistair Darling. |
| In his memoirs, serialised in the Sunday Times, Mr Darling said the management of the then prime minister's time by No 10 was "hopeless". | |
| He told the BBC he was attacked for "exaggerating" the impact of the 2008 banking crisis, and accused Mr Brown of "ignoring" the problem of the deficit. | |
| The former PM has not yet responded. | The former PM has not yet responded. |
| Mr Darling, MP for Edinburgh South West, said meetings were "tortuous", with decisions unable to be reached and appointments cancelled and rearranged at the last minute. | Mr Darling, MP for Edinburgh South West, said meetings were "tortuous", with decisions unable to be reached and appointments cancelled and rearranged at the last minute. |
| "The management of Gordon's time by No 10 was, from my perspective, hopeless. There was a permanent air of chaos and crisis," he said. | "The management of Gordon's time by No 10 was, from my perspective, hopeless. There was a permanent air of chaos and crisis," he said. |
| 'Hellish' | 'Hellish' |
| Another key extract revealed how the relationship between the two men entered particularly "dark days" during the early days of the financial crisis in autumn 2008. | Another key extract revealed how the relationship between the two men entered particularly "dark days" during the early days of the financial crisis in autumn 2008. |
| Mr Brown was convinced that the situation could be resolved in six months and was livid when his chancellor told the press that the UK financial outlook was the worst for 60 years. | Mr Brown was convinced that the situation could be resolved in six months and was livid when his chancellor told the press that the UK financial outlook was the worst for 60 years. |
| "The problem was that clearly he did not trust my advice, and he appeared indifferent to what I thought." | "The problem was that clearly he did not trust my advice, and he appeared indifferent to what I thought." |
| Mr Darling said that, when confronted, the prime minister denied launching a campaign of anonymous briefings against him, but he describes the period as "hellish... very personal. It left a scar on me... you just can't get over it." | Mr Darling said that, when confronted, the prime minister denied launching a campaign of anonymous briefings against him, but he describes the period as "hellish... very personal. It left a scar on me... you just can't get over it." |
| His memoirs also find issue with the praise that Mr Brown has received by many for engineering the plan to save the banks. | His memoirs also find issue with the praise that Mr Brown has received by many for engineering the plan to save the banks. |
| "In the aftermath of this crisis there have been many who have claimed authorship of what proved to be a highly successful plan," wrote Mr Darling. | "In the aftermath of this crisis there have been many who have claimed authorship of what proved to be a highly successful plan," wrote Mr Darling. |
| "It really doesn't matter who thought of the scheme first. What matter is that it worked. What I know is that the Treasury, the Bank and the FSA started this work... under my instruction." | "It really doesn't matter who thought of the scheme first. What matter is that it worked. What I know is that the Treasury, the Bank and the FSA started this work... under my instruction." |
| 'Brutal regime' | 'Brutal regime' |
| Mr Darling also claimed Mr Brown tried to replace him with Ed Balls. | Mr Darling also claimed Mr Brown tried to replace him with Ed Balls. |
| He described how he refused to be reshuffled in May 2009 and take up the post of foreign secretary, despite feeling excluded by Mr Brown and his allies. | He described how he refused to be reshuffled in May 2009 and take up the post of foreign secretary, despite feeling excluded by Mr Brown and his allies. |
| "Part of me wanted to go. I was tired of the atmosphere of feuding and the perpetual sniping. Our friendship had been strained beyond breaking point," he wrote. | "Part of me wanted to go. I was tired of the atmosphere of feuding and the perpetual sniping. Our friendship had been strained beyond breaking point," he wrote. |
| "In many ways I wanted out; I'd had enough. And yet another part of me did not want to be forced out at this stage." | "In many ways I wanted out; I'd had enough. And yet another part of me did not want to be forced out at this stage." |
| Mr Darling also revealed that a month later, in an attempt to oust Mr Brown and his "fairly brutal regime", he held a meeting with David Miliband, the former foreign secretary. | Mr Darling also revealed that a month later, in an attempt to oust Mr Brown and his "fairly brutal regime", he held a meeting with David Miliband, the former foreign secretary. |
| The two leading politicians met at an Essex farmhouse to "discuss whether there was any way of getting rid of Gordon". | The two leading politicians met at an Essex farmhouse to "discuss whether there was any way of getting rid of Gordon". |
| 'Could have got through' | |
| Mr Darling said they concluded such a move was not possible at the time. | Mr Darling said they concluded such a move was not possible at the time. |
| "That afternoon we came to a pretty unsatisfactory conclusion: that Gordon wouldn't leave; that there was no alternative leader in prospect; and that there was an inevitability that we must just soldier on." | "That afternoon we came to a pretty unsatisfactory conclusion: that Gordon wouldn't leave; that there was no alternative leader in prospect; and that there was an inevitability that we must just soldier on." |
| Mr Darling's book - Back from the Brink: 1,000 Days at Number 11 - is published later this week. | Mr Darling's book - Back from the Brink: 1,000 Days at Number 11 - is published later this week. |
| Asked about the revelations by the BBC's Andrew Marr, Mr Darling said the briefings against him by allies of Mr Brown over his handling of the financial crisis had been "deeply unpleasant". | Asked about the revelations by the BBC's Andrew Marr, Mr Darling said the briefings against him by allies of Mr Brown over his handling of the financial crisis had been "deeply unpleasant". |
| "It left a mark on me you really couldn't erase," he said. | "It left a mark on me you really couldn't erase," he said. |
| Mr Darling said the "blindingly obvious" differences between the two men over the need to reduce the deficit and be specific about spending cuts hampered Labour re-election chances in 2010. | Mr Darling said the "blindingly obvious" differences between the two men over the need to reduce the deficit and be specific about spending cuts hampered Labour re-election chances in 2010. |
| "My frustration is that we could have got through this, we could have charted a political way through this...We could have come through this but we didn't." | "My frustration is that we could have got through this, we could have charted a political way through this...We could have come through this but we didn't." |
| 'Great leadership' | |
| On the deficit, he said he stood by his plan at the time to cut borrowing in half over four years and suggested the prime minister was in denial about the need to cut spending. | |
| "At the end point you had to say you had to get your borrowing down and ignoring the problem, frankly, is as bad as the present government's policy..." | |
| He acknowledged that he and other former ministers who were concerned about Mr Brown's behaviour should have challenge him at the time. | He acknowledged that he and other former ministers who were concerned about Mr Brown's behaviour should have challenge him at the time. |
| "Perhaps we should have done something... Why did I not do it? I am afraid for me - despite everything - I had a residual loyalty which I found it very difficult to overcome. We go back a long, long way." | |
| The former prime minister has not yet responded to Mr Darling's claims, but on Tuesday refused to comment on other claims attributed to the book that he had a "brutal and volcanic" mood. | The former prime minister has not yet responded to Mr Darling's claims, but on Tuesday refused to comment on other claims attributed to the book that he had a "brutal and volcanic" mood. |
| But shadow education secretary Andrew Burnham - a member of Mr Brown's cabinet - said he thought "raking over these coals" was not helpful to Labour and "demoralising" for party members trying to focus on current challenges. | |
| "I have got a lot of respect for Gordon Brown," he told Sky News. | |
| "He dealt with some of the most difficult issues that this country has ever faced and faced them with great insight and leadership. | |
| "Because of the action we took, we helped set a course for the rest of the world." |