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Salmond collapses while attending an international conference in North Macedonia
Former Scottish First Minister Alex Salmond has died suddenly at the age of 69.
The former parliamentarian and MSP, who led the country from 2007 to 2014, fell ill while attending an international conference in North Macedonia.
The North Macedonian government said Salmond lost consciousness at around 15:30 pm local time on Saturday at the Inex Orjika hotel near the city of Ohrid.
According to local media reports, the man collapsed during lunch and was pronounced dead at the scene.
Tributes have poured in from all sides of politics, with First Minister Keir Starmer describing him as a “monumental figure in Scottish and British politics”.
Nicola Sturgeon, who replaced Mr Salmond as prime minister, said Mr Salmond had been her mentor and had “formed one of the most successful partnerships in British politics for more than a decade”.
King Charles also said he was “deeply saddened” to hear of Mr Salmond’s sudden death, adding: “His dedication to Scotland was the driving force behind his decades of public service.”
Mr Salmond led the pro-independence movement ahead of the 2014 referendum and resigned as prime minister after Scottish voters voted 55% to 45% to remain in the UK.
He was leader of the SNP from 1990 to 2000, leading the party to power when it won the 2007 Scottish Parliament election.
Mr Salmond, Scotland’s first pro-independence first minister, led the SNP to an unprecedented majority in an election four years later, paving the way for a referendum.
Under his leadership, the Scottish Government also introduced popular policies such as free NHS prescriptions and free university tuition fees for Scottish students.
After resigning as first minister, he had a vicious clash with Ms Sturgeon over the government’s mishandling of harassment complaints against her.
Salmond was also acquitted of serious sex offense charges following a trial in Edinburgh in 2020.
He was charged with 13 offences, including attempted rape, but was acquitted of all charges after two weeks of evidence in the High Court.
The allegations against Mr Salmond date back to when he was First Minister and include SNP politicians, party staff and several current and former Scottish Government civil servants and staff.
In court testimony, he said the claims about his alleged actions were “deliberate fabrications for political purposes” or “exaggerations.”
In his final speech to the jury, Mr Salmond’s lawyer said the former prime minister “certainly could have been a better person” but had committed no crime.
After leaving the SNP, Salmond founded and headed an alternative pro-independence party called Alba.
He also hosted his own show on controversial Russian broadcaster RT, which he suspended in the wake of the 2022 invasion of Ukraine.
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After Salmond succeeded him as first minister, he had a dramatic falling out with his former pupil Nicola Sturgeon.
Ms Alba approached the UK Foreign Office for assistance in returning Mr Salmond’s body to the UK.
The party’s deputy leader, Kenny MacAskill, described Mr Salmond as “the outstanding Scottish politician, not only of his generation but of generations before him”, adding: “He has extraordinary charm and endeared himself to many people in Scotland. “They had a common atmosphere of mutual respect.”
Ms Sturgeon paid tribute to her former political leader, saying she was “shocked and disappointed” to learn of Mr Salmond’s death.
He added: “Of course I can’t act as if the events of the past few years that led to the breakdown of our relationship never happened, and it’s not right for me to try to do so.”
“But the fact remains that Alex has been an incredibly important person in my life for many years.
“He was my mentor and for over a decade we formed one of the most successful partnerships in British politics.”
Prime Minister John Swinney said he was “deeply shocked and saddened” by the news of his death and expressed his condolences to Mr Salmond’s wife Moira and their family.
Mr Swinney added: “Alex worked tirelessly and fearlessly for the country he loved and for its independence.
“He brought the Scottish National Party, which had been on the fringes of Scottish politics, into government and moved Scotland closer to becoming an independent country.”
Former First Minister Humza Yousaf said he and Mr Salmond had “obvious disagreements over the past few years” but praised his “huge contribution to Scottish and British politics”.
The Scottish Parliament lowered its flag as a mark of respect to Mr Salmond.
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Alex Salmond married his wife Moira in 1981
Salmond was born in Hogmanay, Linlithgow, in 1954, studied economic and medieval history at the University of St Andrews, and joined the SNP soon after arriving in 1973.
He then worked as an assistant economist in the UK government’s Scottish Department of Agriculture and Fisheries before moving to the Royal Bank of Scotland, where he worked as an economist for seven years, eventually specializing in oil and gas.
He served as the SNP MP for Banff and Buchan from 1987 to 2010, and was elected party leader in 1990.
Mr Salmond was elected to the Scottish Parliament when it was established in 1999, but resigned as leader a year later and returned to the party in 2004.
Sir Keir Starmer described Salmond as a “monumental figure in Scottish and British politics”.
The First Minister added: “As Scotland’s first minister, I cared deeply about Scotland’s heritage, history, culture and the communities I represented throughout my years of service as an MP and MSP.
“My thoughts are with those who knew him, his family and loved ones. Today, on behalf of the British Government, I extend my condolences.”
Mr Starmer’s predecessor as prime minister, Rishi Sunak, said: “Alex Salmond was a huge figure in our politics.
“Although I disagreed with him on constitutional issues, I could not deny his talent for debate and his passion for politics. I wish him all the best.”
