King Charles and Keir Starmer lead tributes to 'titan' Alex Salmond following death of former Scottish First Minister

12 October 2024, 22:47 | Updated: 13 October 2024, 08:36

Alex Salmond has been hailed as a “political colossus” following his death aged 69.

Salmond, who served as First Minister of Scotland from 2007 to 2014, passed away after giving a speech at an event in North Macedonia on Saturday.

Salmond is credited with bringing the fight for Scottish independence to the mainstream of British politics, with the SNP describing him as a "titan" of their movement.

The former SNP leader led the “Yes Scotland” campaign, championing Scottish independence in the lead-up to the 2014 referendum.

Read more: Alex Salmond achieved the impossible, British politics will miss him and I will miss my friend

He resigned as a result of the nation's decision to reject independence, later founding the new, pro-independence, Alba Party in 2021.

King Charles and Queen Camilla were among the leaders who paid tribute to Salmond following the news, saying: "My wife and I are greatly saddened to hear of the sudden death of Alex Salmond.

"His devotion to Scotland drove his decades of public service.

"We extend our deep condolences to his family and loved ones at this time."

Former Scottish first minister Alex Salmond has died, aged 69

Born in Linlithgow in 1954, Alexander Elliot Anderson Salmond was educated at Linlithgow Academy and St Andrew's University, where he first joined the SNP.

Graduating with a degree in economics and history, he worked as an economist for both the Government Economic Service and the Royal Bank of Scotland before being elected as an MP for the Banff and Buchan constituency in 1987.

His election at Westminster followed a turbulent period for the SNP, which saw its number of seats fall from 11 to two in the 1979 general election.

He characterised his early time at Westminster as "a one-man campaign of parliamentary disruption" - best illustrated when he was ejected from the chamber during the 1988 budget.

As a young and brash newcomer, Mr Salmond played a role in the breakaway faction of the party known as the "79 Group" which sought to take a more left-wing stance.

His brief expulsion as a result did not hinder his advancement within the party in the long term, with his election to leader coming in 1990.

With the creation of the Scottish Parliament in 1999, he went on to serve as leader of the opposition at Holyrood, while retaining his seat at Westminster.

In the wake of the Scottish independence referendum, Salmond had a very public fallout with his friend and successor Nicola Sturgeon, over her government’s mishandling of sexual harassment claims against him.

He was later acquitted of serious sexual assault charges in 2020.

Outside of politics, Salmond had a number of roles in the media, including a radio show on LBC.

LBC's Iain Dale described Salmond as a "titan" as he looked back on his time in UK politics as well as his career in radio with LBC.

Following the news of his death, his political ally turned bitter rival Nicola Sturgeon praised his contributions to Scottish nationalism, but said she could not forget what led them to turn on each other.

Her statement read: "I am shocked and sorry to learn of Alex Salmond’s death.

"Obviously, I cannot pretend that the events of the past few years which led to the breakdown of our relationship did not happen, and it would not be right for me to try.

"However, it remains the fact that for many years Alex was an incredibly significant figure in my life. He was my mentor, and for more than a decade we formed one of the most successful partnerships in UK politics.

"Alex modernised the SNP and led us into government for the first time, becoming Scotland's fourth first minister and paving the way for the 2014 referendum which took Scotland to the brink of independence. He will be remembered for all of that. My thoughts are with Moira, his wider family and his friends."

Tributes from all sides of the political aisle have poured in following his death.

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer described him as a “monumental figure” of British politics.

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."

Scotland's First Minister John Swinney said: "I am deeply shocked and saddened at the untimely death of the former first minister Alex Salmond, and I extend my deepest condolences to Alex's wife Moira and to his family.

"Over many years, Alex made an enormous contribution to political life - not just within Scotland, but across the UK and beyond.

"Alex worked tirelessly and fought fearlessly for the country that he loved and for her independence. He took the Scottish National Party from the fringes of Scottish politics into government and led Scotland so close to becoming an independent country.

"There will be much more opportunity to reflect in the coming days, but today all of our thoughts are with Alex's family and his many friends right across the political spectrum."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.

"Our thoughts are with his family and friends at this difficult time and on behalf of Scottish Labour I offer our sincere condolences to all who will be mourning his loss.

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

Former Prime Minister Rishi Sunak added: "Alex Salmond was a huge figure in our politics.

"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."

Scottish Conservative leader Russell Findlay said: "I am shocked and saddened to hear of Alex Salmond's sudden passing.

"No matter our political beliefs, we can all respect his dedication to public service as an MSP, MP and First Minister of Scotland.

"He will be remembered as a formidable and impressive politician who made a lasting impact on our country.

"The thoughts of everyone in the Scottish Conservative Party are with his family and friends."

Douglas Ross, former leader of the Scottish Conservatives, wrote on X: "Alex Salmond made a huge impact in the North East and across the whole country.

"While we had opposing political views, he was a towering figure in Scottish politics which he dominated for many years.

"My thoughts are with Moira and his family and friends at this difficult time."

Reform UK leader Nigel Farage described him as “a very engaging figure who could talk to anyone” and said “he made Scottish nationalism a force.”

While former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn wrote: “Very sad to hear of Alex Salmond’s passing.

“He was formidable, determined and principled to his core.

“We will miss his tenacity and humour most. My thoughts are with his family and friends in Scotland and around the world.”