Edinburgh Labour MP Alistair Darling, who led the successful campaign against Scottish independence, is to stand down as a lawmaker at the May 2015 general election.
The departure is the latest blow for Labour in Scotland after polls showed a collapse in support that could see the party lose almost all its seats to the pro-independence Scottish National Party (SNP).
It is the third high-level Labour resignation in Scotland in a fortnight, after Johann Lamont stepped down as Scottish Labour party leader, followed by her deputy Anas Sarwar.
Darling, a former chancellor, backed MP Jim Murphy to take over as leader.
“Jim has the enthusiasm, the energy and above all he’s a fighter. For too long we have sat back when we needed to fight,” he told the Financial Times.
Darling, 60, told the Financial Times he was frustrated that the Scottish Labour party had not made the most of its victory in convincing 55 percent to vote against Scottish independence in the September vote.
He warned that another referendum could be on the way if the SNP’s advance continues.
The SNP has more than tripled its membership since the vote and its support has risen.
The Better Together campaign, led by Darling, was criticised for being too negative and late to put forward a positive vision of why Scotland should remain in the United Kingdom.
Alistair Darling to step down as MP
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