Alistair Darling, former British chancellor, joins Morgan Stanley board

Peer who was at the helm of exchequer during the global crash follows Gordon Brown with move into finance sector

Alistair Darling is to become a director of Morgan Stanley.
Alistair Darling is to become a director of Morgan Stanley. Photograph: Murdo MacLeod for the Guardian

Alistair Darling, the former Labour chancellor of Britain, has been appointed to the board of directors at Morgan Stanley.

Darling will take up his role at the financial services firm in January.

Darling, now a member of the House of Lords, was chancellor between 2007 and 2010 and served as a Labour MP for 28 years.

The 62-year-old has been a prominent member of the campaign backing Britain to remain within the EU.

The Morgan Stanley chairman, James Gorman, said Darling’s experience at the helm during the economic crash would be useful. “I am very pleased to welcome Mr Darling to our board. He brings strong leadership experience, as well as insight into both the global economy and the global financial system.

“As chancellor of the exchequer he played a central role in responding to the financial crisis. The board, our management and our shareholders will greatly benefit from his experience and perspective.”

James W Owens, chairman of the board’s nominating and governance committee, said: “We will all benefit from his financial, risk management and regulatory insights.”

The news comes a day after it was revealed Gordon Brown had taken on a job at global investment firm Pimco.

The ex-Labour leader would advise Pimco on economic and political issues, the firm said.

The former Labour prime minister announced in 2015 that he was bowing out of Westminster politics at the May election and would instead focus on charity work and his role as a United Nations envoy.