Profile: Alistair Darling

The scrutiny of Mr Darling's announcements will be immense

Alistair Darling is not normally associated with era-defining moments in politics.

The chancellor has always been more of a backroom boy - a sober, unshowy figure, happy to leave the political fireworks to others.

But on Monday he will step out of his friend and mentor Gordon Brown's shadow and move centre stage, as he makes a financial statement that could decide the future prosperity of millions of Britons, not to mention the outcome of the next general election.

Mr Darling's pre-Budget report speech is unlikely to be filled with stirring imagery - he can be dull as he likes, safe in the knowledge that his every word will be pored over by business leaders, voters, trade unionists, political rivals and anyone else with a stake in the country's economic future.

DARLING'S CAREER 1987: Enters Parliament 1988-92: Opposition home affairs spokesman 1992-98: Labour City spokesman 1996-97: Shadow chief secretary to the Treasury 1997-98: Chief secretary to the Treasury 1998-2002: Work and pensions Secretary 2002-2006: Transport secretary 2006-2007: Trade and industry secretary 2007-present: Chancellor

If Mr Darling does follow through on weeks of hints and half-promises by Mr Brown and himself and delivers a programme of tax cuts and increased public spending aimed at stimulating the faltering economy it will be couched in the dry, analytical language of the Treasury.

Experience

But he will be under pressure to make the planned "fiscal stimulus" sound less like the reckless gamble the Tories claim it to be and more like the only sensible option to prevent economic ruin.

The mild mannered Edinburgh lawyer must radiate sober, calm authority as he enters the bear pit of the Commons chamber, if he is to succeed in reassuring people that the government is not powerless to prevent the country from sliding into a deep recession.

The Edinburgh South West MP has long experience of political crises to call upon.

He was first elected to Parliament in 1987, after a career as an advocate and a short stint as a councillor, and soon promoted to Labour's front bench.

Mr Darling served as chief secretary to the Treasury and then replaced Harriet Harman as social security secretary, charged with delivering then prime minister Tony Blair's welfare reforms.

In that job, which was renamed work and pensions secretary during his time, Mr Darling was responsible for spending a third of the government's budget.

He has said that if he is remembered, he would like it to be "as the minister who began to eradicate poverty".

But he was one of the targets of angry pensioners who were outraged when their pensions were raised by only 75p.

Later, as transport secretary, Mr Darling moved government policy towards an acceptance of road pricing.

He was moved to the Department of Trade and Industry, where he took a lead in suggesting that Britain's future energy needs may have to be met partly by a return to nuclear power.

Treasury crises

After Mr Brown became prime minister in 2007 - following 10 years as chancellor - he appointed Mr Darling, a long-time ally, to replace him.

It was not the easiest of times to take on such a job.

After years of uninterrupted economic growth, the UK economy's future was looking far less rosy.

Soon enough, the global credit crunch meant funds needed by the Northern Rock bank dried up.

Mr Darling guaranteed all deposits but, after the Treasury failed to find a buyer, the bank was nationalised.

Mr Darling was a lawyer before becoming a politician

The government's reputation for competence was further dented when HM Revenue and Customs - part of the Treasury - admitted it had lost data discs containing the details of 25 million people.

The chancellor also had to defend the policy of restricting public sector wage rises - regarded as necessary by the government to keep inflation down, but hated by Labour-supporting trade unions.

All controversial stuff, but such crises - even Northern Rock - are minor compared with the potential risks posed by the economic downturn.

The Conservatives have rubbished the tax-cutting and public-spending proposal and dropped a commitment to matching the government's spending commitments for 2010/11.

Mr Darling and Mr Brown have attended meeting after meeting, summit after summit, in efforts to persuade other world leaders to pursue similar policies to the UK.

The chancellor has gone to ground as he prepares to present his pre-Budget report - normally seen as more of a fine-detail follow-up to the more sweeping Budget statement delivered in the spring, but this time regarded as a major event.

The policies will be criticised and pored over endlessly by economists, politicians and journalists.

The chancellor, who prefers to spend his spare time quietly in a remote croft on the Outer Hebrides, can perhaps be expected to make the least fuss of all.