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Family of the former Scottish First Minister Alex Salmond have paid tribute to the ‘formidable’ politician in a touching statement after he died yesterday at lunch.
The new comments released by the pro-Independence Alba Party talk of how Salmond ‘dedicated his life to the cause he believed in’ but was foremost ‘devoted’ and ‘loving’ to those close to him.
Salmond leaves behind Moira, 87, his loyal wife of 43 years. The couple lived in Strichen, Aberdeenshire. It is believed Mrs Salmond was at home when her husband died having lunch at a conference in North Macedonia.
The tribute reads: ‘Alex was a formidable politician, an amazing orator, an outstanding intellect, and admired throughout the world.
‘He loved meeting people and hearing their stories, and showed incredible kindness to those who needed it.
Scotland’s First Minister and leader of the Scottish National Party Alex Salmond arrives with his wife Moira Salmond to a Scottish Parliament election count in 2011
Mr Salmond led the Scottish Nationalist Party between 1990 and 2000, and then again between 2004 and 2014. Pictured: With wife Moira in 2020
The former First Minister, who died of a suspected heart attack yesterday during lunch at a conference in Macedonia, made a name for himself by fiercely fighting for his nation. Pictured: Mr Salmond at the conference on the day before his death
Former MSP Alex Salmond kicks off ALBA Lothian campaign with ALBA Lothian Candidates in Edinburgh
‘He dedicated his adult life to the cause he believed in – independence for Scotland. His vision and enthusiasm for Scotland and the Yes movement were both inspirational and contagious.
‘But to us, first and foremost, he was a devoted and loving husband, a fiercely loyal brother, a proud and thoughtful uncle and a faithful and trusted friend.’
Salmond was a prominent figure in the Scottish Nationalist movement, who served as the country’s first minister from 2007 to 2014.
He was having lunch at a conference in the south eastern European country, North Macedonia, when he died of a suspected heart attack at the age of 69.
The titan of Scottish politics took to social media to proudly fight for Scotland just hours before his death – signing off his final post: ‘Scotland is a country not a county’.
Alex Salmond can be seen smiling cheerfully in the center of what is believed to be his last photo alongside his Alba Party chair Tasmina Ahmed-Sheikh, who is wearing a tartan dress
Mr Salmond was sat on the front row of the conference, on the day before he died at a lunch event
Mr Salmond had made a speech at the Institute for Cultural Diplomacy Forum before collapsing in a crowded room.
A photo from the event showed him smiling cheerfully in the centre of a crowd of dignitaries in what is believed to be his last photo, alongside his Alba Party chair Tasmina Ahmed-Sheikh, who is wearing a tartan dress.
Eye-witnesses said medical teams desperately tried to resuscitate him after he appeared to have possibly suffered a heart attack, but they were unable to save him.
Succession star Brian Cox was another individual who paid tribute to the politician this evening saying his friend was ‘a lot of fun’, following his shock death in Ohrid, North Macedonia yesterday.
Mr Cox appeared on BBC‘s Sunday With Laura Kuenssberg programme and spoke fondly of his pal.
The actor, 78, called Scotland’s former First Minister ‘an extraordinary man’ following his shock death in Ohrid, North Macedonia yesterday
Succession star Brian Cox has paid tribute to Alex Salmond saying his friend was ‘a lot of fun’ and ‘one of the great political thinkers’
‘He had great humanity, he was probably, I think, one of the greatest political thinkers, certainly Scotland has ever produced, and I think possibly these islands have ever produced,’ he said.
Scotsman Mr Cox first met Mr Salmond when he was a disillusioned Labour supporter, he said.
‘I felt the one place where social democracy was happening was back in my own country, so I suddenly had to rethink my own feelings and Alex enabled me to do that,’ headded
Last night a touching informal memorial service was arranged in the Balkan country in which the former President of North Macedonia, Gjorge Ivanov, delivered a speech reflecting on Mr Salmond’s life and work.
Elections expert Sir John Curtice said Alex Salmond ‘did more than anybody else’ to make independence central to the debate about Scotland’s future.
Speaking to Sky News On Sunday, Sir John said: ‘The truth is Mr Salmond is probably the person who did more than anybody else to move the argument about independence, and indeed his party, the Scottish Nationalist Party, from being a relatively fringe interest that never looked as though it was going to happen to be something that is now central to the debate about the future of Scotland.’
Mr Salmond, a titan of Scottish politics, is believed to have collapsed during lunch at a conference in Ohrid, North Macedonia
Alex Salmond arrives with Deputy Scottish National Party Leader Nicola Sturgeon to deliver his victory speech at Prestonfield House in Edinburgh on May 6, 2011
The pro-independence leader headed up the party as it went from opposition in the Scottish Parliament to government in 2007, where his party battled for the right to hold a referendum on independence. Pictured: In 2020
Mr Salmond was described by former colleagues as ‘one of the most talented politicians of his generation’ and ‘the finest First Minister our country has had’.
He later split with the SNP to form the Alba Party following allegations of sexual harassment. He was cleared of 13 charges, including one of attempted rape, and later took successful legal action against his former party.
The King led tributes to the Scottish politician saying he and the Queen are ‘greatly saddened to hear of the sudden death of Alex Salmond’, and adding: ‘His devotion to Scotland drove his decades of public service.’
Former MSP Alex Salmond kicks off ALBA Lothian campaign with ALBA Lothian Candidates in Edinburgh
Mr Salmond led the Scottish Nationalist Party between 1990 and 2000, and then again between 2004 and 2014. Pictured: With wife Moira in 2020
Queen Elizabeth II meets Scottish First Minister, Alex Salmond at Holyroodhouse, Edinburgh in 2007
Then SNP deputy Convenor John Swinney, vice Convenor Nicola Sturgeon, Leader Alex Salmond and Chief Executive Mike Russell sit down outside the Holiday Inn hotel in Edinburgh in 1999
Alex Salmond during a debate following the Government’s defeat on their fishing policy in 1995
Scottish Secretray, Michael Moore and Deputy First Minister, Nicola Sturgeon as First Minister of Scotland Alex Salmond welcomes Prime Minister David Cameron to St Andrew’s House in Edinburgh prior to signing a referendum agreement in 2012
