Alex Salmond, the former Scottish first minister who for decades championed Scotland’s independence from the United Kingdom, has died. He was 69 years old.
Salmond, who was a divisive figure in British politics and who, as leader of the then Scottish National Party, took Scotland to the brink of independence in a referendum in 2014, died in Ohrid, a resort town in North Macedonia, local media reported.
“Sadly, Alex Salmond, the former First Minister of Scotland who was one of the speakers at the cultural diplomacy forum held yesterday in Ohrid, passed away suddenly today,” according to a statement from the office of the Former President of North Macedonia, Gjorgje Ivanov.
Tributes poured in from across the political spectrum, with UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer of the Labor Party calling him a “monumental figure” in Scottish and British politics.
“He leaves behind a lasting legacy,” Starmer said in a statement shared on X. “As First Minister of Scotland, he cared deeply about Scotland’s heritage, history and culture, as well as the communities he represented.”
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Salmond was First Minister of Scotland from 2007 to 2014 and was leader of the Scottish National Party twice, from 1990 to 2000 and from 2004 to 2014. Salmond, then leader of the Scottish National Party, led the campaign for the ‘independence. in the 2014 referendum, but lost, receiving 45% of the vote.
Salmond resigned from the SNP in 2018 following sexual harassment allegations. He then formed a new party called Alba – the Scottish Gaelic word for Scotland – and was acquitted of the charges.
Current SNP First Minister John Swinney said he was “deeply shocked and saddened by the untimely death” of Salmond.
“For many years, Alex has made a huge contribution to politics, not just in Scotland, but across the UK and beyond,” he said. “He took the Scottish National Party from the fringes of Scottish politics into government and brought Scotland so close to becoming an independent country.”
Former British Conservative Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said Salmond was an “important figure in our politics”.
“Even though I disagreed with him on the constitutional question, there was no denying his talent for debate or his passion for politics,” Sunak said on X. “May he rest in peace “.
