Alex Salmond has died after falling ill in North Macedonia

[TT-ONR-NRN]

Former SNP party leader Alex Salmond has died at 69.

BBC News:

Scotland's former First Minister Alex Salmond has died at the age of 69.
The former MP and MSP, who led the country between 2007 and 2014, took ill while in North Macedonia.
He had reportedly given a speech earlier on Saturday.
Salmond formed the pro-independence Alba Party in 2021 after resigning from the SNP three years earlier.
He led the Yes campaign during the Scottish independence campaign, and resigned as first minister after Scottish voters backed remaining in the UK by 55% to 45% in 2014.

 

[Huntergreed]

Former SNP party leader Alex Salmond has died at 69.

BBC News:

As much as I disagreed with his political views, he was clearly a passionate and successful individual and it’s a tragic shame to see someone go so early

 

[ld0595]

Not a fan of him in recent years but there's no doubt that he was still a titan in Scottish politics with a legacy that will live on for many years.

69 is far too young to go - condolences to his friends and family.

 

[317 forever]

This is sad and sudden. Although the SNP ratings have slipped back and he had already left the party, they have a much higher profile now than they are likely to have had without him.

Hogmanay will never be the same again (it was his birthday).

 

[Falcon1200]

I also disagreed fundamentally with his politics, but he was a consummate politician and without doubt advanced the cause of Scottish independence.

It will be interesting to see what his former colleagues in the SNP, and in particular his one-time protege Nicola Sturgeon, have to say about him now.

 

[317 forever]

I also disagreed fundamentally with his politics, but he was a consummate politician and without doubt advanced the cause of Scottish independence.

It will be interesting to see what his former colleagues in the SNP, and in particular his one-time protege Nicola Sturgeon, have to say about him now.

I also wonder whether members who defected to Alba will stay there or return to the SNP.

 

[Nicholas Lewis]

Old school politician with conviction who never let go of his principles.

 

[brad465]

I also disagreed fundamentally with his politics, but he was a consummate politician and without doubt advanced the cause of Scottish independence.

It will be interesting to see what his former colleagues in the SNP, and in particular his one-time protege Nicola Sturgeon, have to say about him now.

Sturgeon has actually paid tribute, while acknowledging the breakdown of their relationship but also recognised a relatively successful career together before:

Alex Salmond dead: Tributes after ex-first minister dies aged 69

PM Sir Keir Starmer calls the ex-SNP leader a "monumental figure of Scottish and UK politics" who "leaves behind a lasting legacy".

www.bbc.co.uk

Former first minister of Scotland Nicola Sturgeon has called Alex Salmond a "mentor" despite the "breakdown" of their relationship in recent years.

"I am shocked and sorry to learn of Alex Salmond's death," she says.

"Obviously, I cannot pretend that the events of the past few years which led to the breakdown of our relationship did not happen, and it would not be right for me to try.

"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.

"He will be remembered for all of that. My thoughts are with Moira, his wider family and his friends."

 

[GusB]

I have to be honest and say that I haven't been a massive fan of Salmond in recent years, but I can't deny that he has had an effect on my political views over the last decade. I was very much on the fence when it came to the issue of Scottish independence, but he undoubtedly had some effect on my decision when it came to voting Yes in 2014.

My thoughts go out to his loved ones.

 

[Harpo]

I was disappointed to see Johnson call Salmond a great disruptor, a description I’d reserve for certain others who make no other contribution than to create malign political pressure.

Alex Salmond was undoubtedly hugely competent, the characteristic that Johnson is possibly least associated with.

 

[DunsBus]

I didn't agree with his politics but there's no doubting that Alex Salmond made a big impression on both the Scottish and UK political stages.

 

[J-2739]

I was disappointed to see Johnson call Salmond a great disruptor, a description I’d reserve for certain others who make no other contribution than to create malign political pressure.

Alex Salmond was undoubtedly hugely competent, the characteristic that Johnson is possibly least associated with.

Way to twist a fitting tribute into someone else.

 

[danielnez1]

Another racist bites the dust.

 

[olddriver]

Another racist bites the dust.

Would you like to elaborate?

 

[GRALISTAIR]

As much as I disagreed with his political views, he was clearly a passionate and successful individual and it’s a tragic shame to see someone go so early

Not a fan of him in recent years but there's no doubt that he was still a titan in Scottish politics with a legacy that will live on for many years.

69 is far too young to go - condolences to his friends and family.

I echo these sentiments. RIP

 

[Trackman]

My thoughts are with his family and friends, RIP. Won't be forgotten in a hurry.

I'm a bit puzzled by the repatriation bit.
Firstly, the RAF declined to fly him home and I believe a businessman charted a flight in the end.
What's going on there then?

 

[Ediswan]

I'm a bit puzzled by the repatriation bit.
Firstly, the RAF declined to fly him home and I believe a businessman charted a flight in the end.
What's going on there then?

Maybe the 'RAF' view is that he could have taken out suitable travel insurance.

 

[JamesT]

My thoughts are with his family and friends, RIP. Won't be forgotten in a hurry.

I'm a bit puzzled by the repatriation bit.
Firstly, the RAF declined to fly him home and I believe a businessman charted a flight in the end.
What's going on there then?

I’m not sure why some people were expecting the RAF to do it. There’s no precedent for them to repatriate the remains of private citizens. Other than service personnel dying abroad the only people likely to get that service are the royal family.
As @Ediswan says, for most people it would be their travel insurance sorting it out.

 

[oldman]

Maybe the 'RAF' view is that he could have taken out suitable travel insurance.

I suspect travel insurance would not cover a direct private flight from Ohrid to Aberdeen. Some people would feel that Salmond's status justified such an arrangement.

 

[GusB]

Another racist bites the dust.

Would you like to elaborate?

There has been no reply from @danielnez1 so far, but I'm also interested to hear their explanation for branding Salmond a racist.

Firstly, the RAF declined to fly him home and I believe a businessman charted a flight in the end.
What's going on there then?

Was the RAF actually asked to fly him home? I certainly wouldn't have expected it to be involved. I don't believe that Salmond was poor enough for his family not to be able to afford it.

It was Tom Hunter who funded the re-patriation:

Sir Tom Hunter confirms he paid for Alex Salmond’s body to be flown home

Scottish multimillionaire said the former first minister had ‘devoted his life to Scotland’

www.theguardian.com

Sir Tom Hunter, one of Scotland’s wealthiest men, has confirmed he has paid for Alex Salmond’s body to be flown home from the Balkans.

Hunter, a multimillionaire investor and philanthropist, was ambivalent about Scottish independence and was often critical of Scottish government policy but said Salmond had “devoted his life to Scotland”.


Speculation was rife about who had privately funded the charter flight due to bring Salmond’s body home from North Macedonia on Friday, after he died suddenly at a lunch on Saturday.

Officials in the former first minister’s party, Alba, believed the donor wanted to remain anonymous until Salmond’s funeral, which is expected to take place in private in his home village of Strichen, Aberdeenshire.


Hunter, who donated £100,000 to the Labour party in 2001, said he wanted to end the speculation after significant media inquiries.

“While he and I disagreed on some of his ambitions, Alex Salmond devoted his life to Scotland and the Scottish people and as such he, and importantly his family, deserved the dignity and privacy of a private return to the home of his birth,” he said in a short statement.

“Our deepest sympathy and thoughts are with his family at this time. To be clear, I remain resolutely apolitical.”

 

[oldman]

Was the RAF actually asked to fly him home?

I doubt it, but there was a bit of manufactured grievance from the Alba party about the RAF. From the National (a 'newspaper'):

Salmond's friend and colleague Chris McEleny, the general secretary of Alba, has travelled to North Macedonia ...

McEleny told The National that the UK Government not giving the green light for the RAF to assist in the repatriation "is no way to treat a former first minister”.

 

[AlterEgo]

The RAF didn't fly him home as they had no obligation to do so, and therefore a private citizen paid for the flight, just like everyone else.

 

[1D54]

There has been no reply from @danielnez1 so far, but I'm also interested to hear their explanation for branding Salmond a racist.

I believe it could have something to do with the day Alba was launched.

A strange video was part of the release which Braveheart featured prominently and was seen by his opponents as being very divisive and anti-English