Former UK Treasury chief Alistair Darling, who steered nation through a credit crunch, has died

LONDON (AP) — British ex-Treasury chief Alistair Darling has died at age 70. Darling was a central figure in the U.K.’s response to the 2008 financial crisis who later helped organize the campaign against Scottish independence. Darling’s family said in a statement Thursday that he had been treated for cancer. Darling served as Britain’s treasury chief under then Prime Minister Gordon Brown who praised him as a “popular and effective’’ government minister. Darling held a variety of posts during his 28 years in the House of Commons. But he is likely to be remembered most for his work in steering the nation’s finances during the global credit crunch. The package of measures he implemented were credited with preventing an even more dramatic slide.