LONDON — Alex Salmond, the previous veryfirst minister of Scotland who for years promoted Scotland’s self-reliance from the U.K. and almost achieved it, has passedaway. He was 69.
Salmond, who was one of the most dissentious figure in British politics at the turn of the century and who as the then leader of the Scottish National Party took Scotland to the edge of self-reliance in the 2014 referendum, passedaway in the North Macedonia lake-resort town of Ohrid, regional media reported.
“Unfortunately, Alex Salmond, the previous veryfirst minister of Scotland who was one of the panellists at theotherday’s cultural diplomacy onlineforum that was held in Ohrid, passedaway allofasudden today,” according to a declaration from the workplace of previous North Macedonia President Gjorgje Ivanov.
Tributes put in from throughout the political spectrum, led by King Charles III and his partner Queen Camilla.
“My betterhalf and I are significantly saddened to hear of the abrupt death of Alex Salmond,” the king stated. “His dedication to Scotland drove his years of public service.”
U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer of the Labour Party called him a “monumental figure” of both Scottish and British politics.
“He leaves behind a longlasting tradition,” Starmer stated. “As veryfirst minister of Scotland, he cared deeply about Scotland’s heritage, history and culture, as well as the neighborhoods he represented.”
Salmond served as veryfirst minister of Scotland from 2007 to 2014, and was leader of the Scottish National Party on 2 celebrations, from 1990 to 2000, and from 2004 to2014 Salmond led the self-reliance project in the referendum in 2014, however lost, getting 45% of the vote, and consequently resigned from the leading task and changed by his veteran ally, Nicola Sturgeon. Their subsequent split controlled Scottish politics for years.
“Obviously, I cannot pretend that the occasions of the past coupleof years which led to the breakdown of our relationship did not occur, and it
