Darling on white-knuckle ride

By Sumeet Desai

LONDON (Reuters) - After five rollercoaster months in the job, Chancellor Alistair Darling could well be wondering what's next

On Tuesday, he was forced to admit that a government blunder had put half the country at risk of identity theft after personal details of 25 million people were lost in the post.

It was the second scandal to have hit in quick succession.

In September, Britain suffered its first bank run in 140 years after Northern Rock fell foul of the global credit crunch and had to borrow emergency cash from the Bank. The mortgage lender's shares keep sliding as it looks for a buyer.

Routinely described by civil servants as a "safe pair of hands", Darling is under fire from a Conservative party that cannot believe its own good fortune as Prime Minister Gordon Brown's popularity plummets.

Bookmakers have slashed the odds on Darling quitting. But his job appears safe for now.

Asked whether any minister had offered to resign, Brown told parliament: "No, and nor should they." His fellow Scot, the prime minister said, had done an "excellent job both as a Treasury minister and as Chancellor."

TAKING CHARGE