Scottish Nationalist Leader Alex Salmond Passes Away Unexpectedly
Former First Minister of Scotland Alex Salmond has died following a speech he delivered in North Macedonia. Read Full Article at RT.com.
TroibNews 
Alex Salmond, a prominent figure in Scottish politics and the key architect behind Scotland’s 2014 independence referendum, has died at the age of 69, as reported by various British media outlets and officials. He was instrumental in organizing the referendum, hosted a program on RT, and established a pro-independence faction after parting ways with the Scottish National Party (SNP) in 2021.
Salmond passed away on Saturday shortly after delivering a speech in North Macedonia, according to Sky News. Following the news of his death, several British politicians expressed their condolences. Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar referred to Salmond's death as “a shock to all who knew him in Scotland, across the UK, and beyond.”
The circumstances surrounding Salmond's death remain unclear. The Sunday Times reports that he collapsed while giving his speech.
A steadfast advocate for Scottish independence, Salmond led the SNP from 1990 to 2000 and then from 2004 to 2014. He served as Scotland’s first minister from 2007 to 2014, during which he secured approval from Prime Minister David Cameron to hold the independence referendum. However, his ‘Yes Scotland’ campaign was ultimately defeated, with 55.3% voting against independence and 44.7% in favor, leading to his resignation from office.
After stepping down, Salmond returned to politics in 2015 by winning the MP seat for the Gordon constituency, defeating Liberal Democrat Malcolm Bruce. He held the role of the SNP’s foreign affairs spokesman in Westminster, championing causes related to the developing world and opposing what he termed Western “military adventurism.”
After losing his parliamentary seat to Conservative Colin Clark in 2017, Salmond shifted to broadcasting. His show, ‘The Alex Salmond Show,’ aired on RTN from November 2017 until February 2022, when the program was halted following Russia’s military actions in Ukraine. He subsequently launched ‘Scotland Speaks with Alex Salmond’ on various social media platforms, which later found a home with Turkish broadcaster TRT earlier this year.
In 2018, Salmond resigned from the SNP in the wake of sexual assault allegations, which he claimed were “constructed” by his successor, Nicola Sturgeon. He was acquitted of all charges in 2020 and founded the pro-independence Alba party in 2021, named after the Scottish Gaelic term for Scotland. However, Alba did not secure any seats in the 2021 Scottish Parliament elections or in the local elections of 2023.
Humza Yousaf, Scotland's current first minister and SNP leader, paid tribute to Salmond on X, despite their past differences, stating, “Alex and I obviously had our differences in the last few years, but there’s no doubt about the enormous contribution he made to Scottish and UK politics.” Yousaf emphasized that Salmond played a crucial role in “transforming the SNP into the dominant political force it is today.”
Salmond is survived by his wife, Moira; the couple did not have any children.
Camille Lefevre contributed to this report for TROIB News
Salmond passed away on Saturday shortly after delivering a speech in North Macedonia, according to Sky News. Following the news of his death, several British politicians expressed their condolences. Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar referred to Salmond's death as “a shock to all who knew him in Scotland, across the UK, and beyond.”
The circumstances surrounding Salmond's death remain unclear. The Sunday Times reports that he collapsed while giving his speech.
A steadfast advocate for Scottish independence, Salmond led the SNP from 1990 to 2000 and then from 2004 to 2014. He served as Scotland’s first minister from 2007 to 2014, during which he secured approval from Prime Minister David Cameron to hold the independence referendum. However, his ‘Yes Scotland’ campaign was ultimately defeated, with 55.3% voting against independence and 44.7% in favor, leading to his resignation from office.
After stepping down, Salmond returned to politics in 2015 by winning the MP seat for the Gordon constituency, defeating Liberal Democrat Malcolm Bruce. He held the role of the SNP’s foreign affairs spokesman in Westminster, championing causes related to the developing world and opposing what he termed Western “military adventurism.”
After losing his parliamentary seat to Conservative Colin Clark in 2017, Salmond shifted to broadcasting. His show, ‘The Alex Salmond Show,’ aired on RTN from November 2017 until February 2022, when the program was halted following Russia’s military actions in Ukraine. He subsequently launched ‘Scotland Speaks with Alex Salmond’ on various social media platforms, which later found a home with Turkish broadcaster TRT earlier this year.
In 2018, Salmond resigned from the SNP in the wake of sexual assault allegations, which he claimed were “constructed” by his successor, Nicola Sturgeon. He was acquitted of all charges in 2020 and founded the pro-independence Alba party in 2021, named after the Scottish Gaelic term for Scotland. However, Alba did not secure any seats in the 2021 Scottish Parliament elections or in the local elections of 2023.
Humza Yousaf, Scotland's current first minister and SNP leader, paid tribute to Salmond on X, despite their past differences, stating, “Alex and I obviously had our differences in the last few years, but there’s no doubt about the enormous contribution he made to Scottish and UK politics.” Yousaf emphasized that Salmond played a crucial role in “transforming the SNP into the dominant political force it is today.”
Salmond is survived by his wife, Moira; the couple did not have any children.
Camille Lefevre contributed to this report for TROIB News
