Former Scottish First Minister Alex Salmond, a fervent pro-independence activist, dies

Photo: Andy Buchanan Archives Agence France-Presse Scottish ALBA party leader Alex Salmond dies aged 69

Agence France-Presse

Published at 17:12

• Europe

Former Scottish First Minister Alex Salmond, a staunch advocate of Scottish independence, has died at the age of 69, members of the Scottish independence party, the SNP, which he led, announced on Saturday.

“He was a titan of the independence movement,” the SNP said on X.

Its members did not specify the cause of Alex Salmond's death. According to British media, he collapsed after a speech in North Macedonia.

The career of the man who was born on December 31, 1954 in a working-class housing estate in Linlithgow, near Edinburgh, will be marked by the 2014 referendum on Scottish independence, a bitter defeat for the yes camp he led (55% of the vote against).

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He then resigned from his position as head of the Scottish government, which he had held since 2007, and handed over power to his former protégé, Nicola Sturgeon.

At one time suspected of sexual assault and attempted rape, then acquitted by the courts in 2020, this herald of Scottish independence attempted a comeback in 2021 with a new party, Alba, which ended in electoral failure.

Alex Salmond also hosted a show on the Russian state-funded English-language news channel RT, which was ultimately suspended after the Russian invasion of Ukraine in early 2022.

He graduated in economics and medieval history from the prestigious University of Saint Andrews, before becoming an economist for the Bank of Scotland.

Although voluble in public, the horse racing enthusiast was silent about his private life. His wife, Moira, 87, rarely appeared at his side. The couple had no children.

His supporters praised his unwavering determination and great political skill, while his detractors called him arrogant, tyrannical and misogynistic, with a penchant for populism.

Reactions poured in from across the British political spectrum on Saturday, paying tribute to one of the most important figures in recent Scottish history.

“Alex and I have obviously had our differences over the last few years, but there is no doubt that he has made an enormous contribution to Scottish and British politics. “My condolences to his family and friends,” wrote SNP member and former Scottish First Minister Humza Yousaf on X.

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, a Labour Party member, called Mr Salmond a “monumental figure in Scottish and British politics” who “leaves behind a lasting legacy”.

His predecessor, Conservative Rishi Sunak, hailed him as “a major figure in our politics”. “While I disagree with him on the constitutional issue, I cannot deny his talent for debate and his passion for politics. May he rest in peace,” he added.