Jeff J Mitchell, Getty Photographs
Alex Salmond, the previous first minister of Scotland who for many years championed Scotland’s independence from the U.Okay., has died. He was 69.
U.Okay. Prime Minister Keir Starmer paid tribute to Salmond, calling him a “monumental determine” of each Scottish and British politics.
“He leaves behind an enduring legacy,” Starmer mentioned. “As first minister of Scotland, he cared deeply about Scotland’s heritage, historical past and tradition, in addition to the communities he represented.”
Salmond served as first minister of Scotland from 2007 to 2014, and was chief of the Scottish Nationwide Occasion on two events, from 1990 to 2000, and from 2004 to 2014. Salmond, as then chief of the Scottish Nationwide Occasion, led the independence marketing campaign within the referendum in 2014, however misplaced, gaining 45% of the vote.
Salmond resigned from the SNP in 2018 within the wake of sexual harassment allegations. He subsequently fashioned a brand new occasion referred to as Alba.
Former U.Okay. Conservative Prime Minister Rishi Sunak mentioned that Salmond was a “large determine in our politics.”
“Whereas I disagreed with him on the constitutional query, there was no denying his ability in debate or his ardour for politics,” Sunak mentioned on X. “Could he relaxation in peace.”
