Former Scottish First Minister Alex Salmond, a fervent supporter of Scottish independence, has died at the age of 69, members of the Scottish independence party, the Scottish National Party (SNP), which he led, announced on Saturday, October 12. His career will be notably marked by the 2014 referendum on Scottish independence, a bitter defeat for the yes camp that he led (55% of the votes against). He later resigned from his position as head of Government, which he had held since 2007.
“Alex [Salmond] And obviously we’ve had our differences over the years, but there’s no doubt he made a huge contribution to Scottish and British politics. My deepest condolences to his family and friends.”SNP member and former Scottish First Minister Humza Yousaf wrote in X. SNP members did not specify the cause of his death.
Reactions came from across the British political spectrum on Saturday, paying tribute to one of the most important figures in Scotland’s recent history. British Prime Minister Keir Starmer described Mr Salmond as “Monumental figure in Scottish and British politics” WHO “leaves a lasting legacy”.
His predecessor, the conservative Rishi Sunak, celebrated “an important figure in our politics”. “Although I do not agree 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.
