Alistair Darling and Gordon Brown timeline: How two men’s 20-year friendship deteriorated

August 2008: Mr Darling gives an interview to the Guardian in which he says the world is facing “arguably the worst” economic downturn in 60 years – later it emerges his choice of words infuriated Mr Brown.

4 March, 2009: Reports of a rift between the two men, with Mr Brown resisting pressure to admit to mistakes in his handling of the economy. Mr Darling says government should share responsibility for allowing a culture of risk-taking in banks to get out of control. His suggestion that ministers show humility and accept a share of the blame for the recession is rejected by Mr Brown.

June 2009: Mr Darling under pressure as it is suggested Mr Brown is considering replacing him with Ed Balls.

November 2009: Reports suggest Mr Brown is “at war” with Mr Darling, as the then chancellor fights off demands to produce an over-optimistic budget statement on economic recovery. “Relations have become so bad that the two men can now barely agree on a time to meet,” one Whitehall source says.

February 2010: In an interview with Sky, Mr Darling claims No 10 “unleashed the forces of hell” against him after he told the Guardian the economy was facing the worst downturn for 60 years. Mr Darling says: “I remember the weekend after we came back and I’d done this interview and the forces of hell were unleashed.” Asked by the interviewer whether he meant No 10, Mr Darling replies: “Not just them; the Tories as well.”

February 2010: Mr Brown acknowledges their relationship could be “difficult” and refuses to say whether Mr Darling would be chancellor if Labour won the election.

March 2010: Andrew Rawnsley’s book The End of the Party outlines the deteriorating relationship. Rawnsley claims Mr Brown’s former spin doctor Damian McBride resorted to “spreading poison” about Mr Darling. Rawnsley quotes Mr Darling’s wife, Maggie, as saying: “The f****** c**** are trying to stitch up Alistair!”

TOM PETERKIN