Danny Alexander was born in Edinburgh and first became an MP at the 2005 general election. Between 2005 and 2010, Danny Alexander was the Liberal Democrats Shadow Secretary for Work and Pensions. When the Conservative-Liberal Democrat coalition government was formed on 11 May 2010, Alexander was appointed as the Secretary of State for Scotland. He was made the Chief Secretary to the Treasury on 29 May 2010, due to the resignation of David Laws. He was knighted in the 2015 Dissolution Honours.