News     Views     Culture     Features

Hillhead Review delves into the political legacy left behind by the former First Minister of Scotland.

On Saturday 12 October, Alex Salmond, former First Minister of Scotland collapsed after delivering a speech in North Macedonia on Saturday and was pronounced dead at the scene at aged 69. 

Salmond served as the First Minister of Scotland from 2007 until 2014, when he stood down following the unsuccessful referendum on Scottish Independence. 

The late Alex Salmond’s life and career will be remembered as defining in Scottish and British politics, from any side of the spectrum. His lifelong battle for an independent Scotland defined an early 21st century Scotland, and this bequest will undoubtedly continue long after Salmond’s passing.

A graduate from the University of St. Andrews, Alex Salmond worked as an economist in the Scottish Office, and then the Royal Bank of Scotland. He was triumphantly elected as MP for Banff and Buchan in 1987, a symbolic victory for the nascent Scottish National Party (SNP). In 1990, Salmond became leader of the SNP, and led them to become the second largest party in the Scottish Parliament by 1999. In 2000, he stood down as leader of the SNP, following his appointment as leader of the SNP’s Westminster group. 

Salmond was re-elected as SNP leader in 2004, running on a joint ticket with his friend and ally Nicola Sturgeon. The SNP won the 2007 election, and Alex Salmond was appointed as First Minister. This era of SNP government saw the abolition of university tuition fees in Scotland and the government's commitment to renewable energy. 

In 2011, the SNP gained an overall majority in the Scottish Parliament. This was Salmond’s mandate to hold the 2014 referendum on Scottish Independence. His deputy Nicola Sturgeon led the Yes Scotland campaign, which was ultimately defeated at the referendum. Salmon then resigned in Septmber 2014 and was succeeded by Sturgeon. 

Nicola Sturgeon said she 'could not pretend' the events of the previous few years had not happened, and it would 'not be right' for her to do so.

Salmond was elected as MP for Gordon in 2015, but left the House of Commons in 2017 after losing his seat. He resigned from the SNP in 2018 to fight allegations of rape and sexual assault, which he denied. 

In 2019, Salmond was charged with 14 offences, including attempted rape. He was awarded £500,000 by the Scottish Government, and acquitted of all charges at trial in 2020. Salmond criticised Sturgeon for her government’s investigations into the case, resulting in a political scandal which was never resolved in Salmond's lifetime. 

Salmond was announced as the leader of the Alba Party in 2021, a post which he held until his death. However, the break-away independece party failed to gain much momentum and never won any seats in Scottish or General elections. 

Salmond’s life and career is characterised by a series of highs and lows. His time as a politician will be remembered as a defining moment in the historical and political landscape of Scotland, particularly in terms of the campaign for Scottish Independence. 

The University of St. Andrews took to X/Twitter to pay their tributes to the former First Minister: “Our sympathies are with the family of Alex Salmond tonight, a huge figure in Scottish and UK public life and always a proud @univstandrews alumnus.”

Many colleagues and admirers of Salmond’s have also made statements about his sudden passing. Nicola Sturgeon said she “could not pretend” the events of the previous few years had not happened, and it would “not be right” for her to do so. 

“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.”

Current First Minister of Scotland, John Swinney also paid tribute to Salmond. He stated that the former First Minister made a “colossal contribution to Scottish politics.” Swinney detailed how Salmond grew the SNP from a party on the fringes of politics in Scotland, to become the Scottish Government, and took the country “incredibly close” to becoming independent in 2014.

Published 14 October 2024