Danny Alexander, who became work and pensions spokesman at the age of 34, is one of the Liberal Democrats' fastest rising stars.

A former press officer with the Scottish Liberal Democrats and PR chief for the Cairngorms National Park, he also spent eight years as a leading light in the European Movement and the now defunct pro-euro campaign, Britain in Europe.

He won the newly-created seat of Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch and Strathspey at the 2005 general election - the old Inverness East seat had been held by Labour.

It later emerged his campaign had received a donation from a Labour peer, Lord Haskins, who described Mr Alexander as a friend. Lord Haskins was later expelled from Labour for breaching party rules.