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Former Scotland first minister Alex Salmond dies aged 69

12 Oct 2024 2 minute read
The former Scotland first minister and current Alba Party leader Alex Salmond. Photo Jane Barlow/PA Wire

Former Scotland first minister and current Alba Party leader Alex Salmond has died aged 69.

Mr Salmond served as First Minister of Scotland from 2007 to 2014 and was leader of the Scottish National Party on two occasions, from 1990 to 2000 and from 2004 to 2014.

Sir Keir Starmer paid tribute to Mr Salmond, calling him a “monumental figure” in the political world.

Lasting legacy

The Prime Minister said: “For more than 30 years, Alex Salmond was a monumental figure of Scottish and UK politics. He leaves behind a lasting legacy.

“As First Minister of Scotland he cared deeply about Scotland’s heritage, history and culture, as well as the communities he represented as MP and MSP over many years of service.

“My thoughts are with those who knew him, his family and his loved ones. On behalf of the UK government, I offer them our condolences today.”

Former prime minister Rishi Sunak said Mr Salmond was a “huge figure in our politics”.

In a tribute posted on X, Mr Sunak added: “While I disagreed with him on the constitutional question, there was no denying his skill in debate or his passion for politics. May he rest in peace.”

Former Scotland first minister Humza Yousaf said Mr Salmond helped turn the SNP into a “dominant political force”.

Enormous contribution

Mr Yousaf, SNP leader from 2023 to 2024, added: “Alex and I obviously had our differences in the last few years, but there’s no doubt about the enormous contribution he made to Scottish and UK politics.

“As well as helping to transform the SNP into the dominant political force it is today.”

Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar said Mr Salmond was “a central figure in politics for over three decades”.

In a statement, Mr Sarwar said: “The sad news of Alex Salmond’s passing today will come as a shock to all who knew him in Scotland, across the UK and beyond.

“Alex was a central figure in politics for over three decades and his contribution to the Scottish political landscape can not be overstated.”


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Y Cymro
Y Cymro
19 hours ago

This came as a total shock. Alex Salmond should have been the first Prime Minister (or President) of an independent Scotland but was lied and betrayed to not only by his party, the SNP, who he shaped into
a political force to be reckoned with, but those of a treacherous unionist persuasion who sold Scotland out for self-interest. Shame on you all. Condolences to his family. Hopefully one day his wish to see an independent Scotland will be realised as I do my homeland of Wales. #Alba 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 ✊ #Cymru 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿✊ #PlaidCymru 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿✊ #YesCymru ✊🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿

Richard Thomas
Richard Thomas
6 hours ago
Reply to  Y Cymro

I saw him in the street once, in Edinburgh. He was just ambling through Old Town by himself. I chose not interrupt his day, but would like the have spoken to him. I think he personally was the person who rallied the support and engaged interest and nobody else could quite follow that. He was strong, assertive, interesting, combative but not abusive or angry. He was also strong enough to sometimes swim against his own tide when he felt it appropriate; I remember a speech he gave telling his supporters that was critical of some of their attitudes towards English… Read more »

John Ellis
John Ellis
15 hours ago

Salmond always seemed to me to be a rather prickly and idiosyncratic customer.

But alongside those arguable deficiencies he had quite remarkable persistence, magnetism and personal power of persuasion. The movement to bring about an independent Scotland had never previously had such a charismatic figure as Salmond fronting its cause, and his early death will surely be a huge loss.

Last edited 15 hours ago by John Ellis
Alun
Alun
14 hours ago

No idea what went on with Nicola Sturgeon, and he clearly went down the wrong path at that point. But I always remember many years ago seeing him on the BBC Question Time panel with (obviously) a bunch of unionists hostile to his views, supported by a unionist chair. He absolutely wiped the floor with them. They simply couldn’t lay a glove on him. I knew then that this was a man with an exceptional mind.

Richard Thomas
Richard Thomas
6 hours ago

It’s a sad loss, he was one the defining political figures of our age. Scottish Independence as a philosophy is very different from theat prevalent among Welsh nationalism. I would though be wary of anyone Welsh looking to follow him as a blueprint for a moment as Scotland is far more different from Wales than some the people who think there is ‘Celtic brotherhood’ would like to believe. Salmond gave the English-speaking urban, working class, post industrial, Scottish people a hope of a better future, which is why Glasgow and Dundee backed independence. The Gaelic speaking areas did not, and… Read more »

Welsh Patriot
Welsh Patriot
4 hours ago

Most agree Alex Salmon was a decisive figure in Scottish politics.

Welsh Patriot
Welsh Patriot
4 hours ago
Reply to  Welsh Patriot

Apologies, I meant divisive of course, sadly even within the SNP.

CapM
CapM
4 minutes ago
Reply to  Welsh Patriot

“was a decisive figure”
Freudian slip, no excuses.

Brychan
Brychan
1 hour ago

This is how the death of Alex Salmond was received in the office of the Prime Minister at Westminster.

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