And what Darling thought in the 80s

The first media outing by Alistair Darling in the newspaper database appears to be his protectionist comments in Electronics Times on June 4 1987 as Labour Candidate for Edinburgh Central. He believed it then. Does he believe it now?

Scotland will end up like Spain or Brazil - little more than a 'branch plant economy' - if the Conservatives allow the manufacturing base to continue shrinking at such an alarming rate, according to Alistair Darling, the Labour candidate for Edinburgh Central.

Darling accuses the government of leaving the promotion of the electronics industry to the free market economy. "The government could have done a lot more to encourage long term electronics growth in Scotland.

"Companies may come here, but there main base is often elsewhere. We are left exposed to the vagaries of the market."

"The government has said it wants to encourage low wages so companies will come here. But when wages go up, the companies can go elsewhere. That is no way to run a country."