Former chancellor Alistair Darling joins Morgan Stanley

Anyone remember Gordan Brown’s distinctive looking right hand man Alistair Darling? You know, the man who had the silver grey hair and incredibly bushy black eyebrows? The man we called Chancellor of the Exchequer between Brown’s Labour reign of 2007-2010?

Well, news has surfaced that Mr Darling will be joining the board of directors at Morgan Stanley, an American multinational financial services corporation. The man who played a key role in the initial attempt to address the global economic crisis is now affectively batting for the other side.

James Gorman, Morgan Stanley’s chief executive, said that the banking firm would “greatly benefit from his experience” and that Mr Darling brings “strong leadership experience, as well as insight into both the global economy and the global financial system”.

The news follows revelations that his former boss and Prime Minister, Gordan Brown, will be taking up a new role on the advisory panel at the global investment firm Pimco, joining a five-strong group of “world-renowned experts on economic and political issues”.

There is a worrying trend with former politicians of the modern era. After their initial Hollywood gig of front page political drama they seem to discard the needs of the people who voted them into power in favour of a huge pay check at a financial firm.

It’s disturbing that key political figures are joining up with huge financial corporations to help them best manage their own financial status. There is a sense that politicians of yesterday are becoming the bankers of tomorrow. Once put in place to serve the people now best placed to serve businesses and themselves.

Though overall this may look like an innocent step up the career ladder it is also a scary prospect for the voter to face. How much more insight do these financial firms need?

Labour party politicians helping the rich get richer. It just doesn’t sit right.