Alex Salmond, the former Scottish first minister who championed Scotland’s independence from Britain for decades, has died. He was 69 years old.
Salmond, a polarizing figure in British politics who led Scotland to the brink of independence in the 2014 referendum as leader of the Scottish National Party, has died in the lakeside resort city of Ohrid in North Macedonia, local media reported.
A statement from the office of former North Macedonian President Djordje Ivanov said: “Sadly, former Scottish First Minister Alex Salmond, who was one of the panellists at the Cultural Diplomacy Forum held in Ohrid yesterday, passed away suddenly today.” About.
Tributes poured in from across the political spectrum, with Labor Prime Minister Keir Starmer calling him a “monumental figure” in Scottish and British politics.
“He left a lasting legacy,” Starmer said in a statement shared with “He cared deeply about society.”
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Salmond served as First Minister of Scotland from 2007 to 2014 and twice as leader of the Scottish National Party, from 1990 to 2000 and from 2004 to 2014. Salmond was then leader of the Scottish National Party and led the independence movement. In the 2014 referendum, it was rejected with 45% of the vote.
Mr Salmond resigned from the SNP in 2018. Allegation of sexual harassment. He then formed a new party called Alba (Scottish Gaelic for Scotland) and was acquitted.
Current SNP first minister John Swinney said he was “deeply shocked and saddened by Mr Salmond’s untimely death”.
“Over the years, Alex has made a huge contribution to political life in Scotland, across the UK and beyond.” “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 UK Tory Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said Mr Salmond was a “huge figure in our politics”.
“While I disagreed with his views on constitutional issues, I couldn’t deny his talent for debate and his passion for politics. May he rest in peace,” Sunak said on the X program.
