Alex Salmond death – latest: Nicola Sturgeon pays tribute to ‘mentor’

Former prime minister Boris Johnson said Alex Salmond was “one of the great political disruptors of the age” and “the father of modern Scottish nationalism”.

Paying tribute, Mr Johnson added: “He was charismatic, clever, caustic and fearsome in debate.

“I am glad that he never succeeded in breaking up the union but very sad that he is gone.”

The King has said he is “greatly saddened” to hear of the sudden death of Alex Salmond, Scotland’s first SNP first minister, at the age of 69.

The Alba leader died on Saturday afternoon from a suspected heart attack during a trip to North Macedonia.

King Charles said in a message issued by Buckingham Palace: “My wife and I are greatly saddened to hear of the sudden death of Alex Salmond.”

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Alex Salmond is understood to have died at lunch in a crowded room after suffering a heart attack.

The current Alba leader died on Saturday afternoon at the Institute for Cultural Diplomacy Forum in the North Macedonia lake-resort town of Ohrid, Chris McEleny, the party’s general secretary, confirmed.

Mr Salmond had made a speech at the event, and the party said it understood he suffered a heart attack, although there will be a post-mortem examination to confirm the cause of death.

The King has said he and the Queen are “greatly saddened to hear of the sudden death of Alex Salmond”.

In a message issued by Buckingham Palace, Charles also said: “His devotion to Scotland drove his decades of public service.

“We extend our deep condolences to his family and loved ones at this time.”

As recently as September of this year, Alex Salmond said he regretted his decision to step down as leader of the Scottish National Party the day after the referendum vote, describing it as a “mistake”.

Speaking in a documentary by ITV Border about the 10th anniversary of the independence referendum – named A Decade of Debate – Mr Salmond said he would not have handed the reins to Nicola Sturgeon at the time had he known how the next 10 years would play out.

In the decade since the vote, support for independence has remained fairly static, leaving Mr Salmond frustrated by what he saw as a lack of action on the part of the SNP-run Scottish Government to secure another vote.

Away from the constitution, Alex Salmond’s time as first minister was eventful.

His handling of planning for Donald Trump’s Scottish golf course; his dealings with newspaper boss Rupert Murdoch; the details of his expenses; a row over EU legal advice; and Justice Secretary Kenny MacAskill’s decision to free Lockerbie bomber Abdelbaset al-Megrahi on compassionate grounds were among the controversial moments.

Elsewhere, popular policies such as free university tuition, free prescriptions, a freeze on council tax, and Mr Salmond’s seemingly innate talent for outmanoeuvring his political opponents helped to assure electoral success.

Outside politics, Mr Salmond married his partner, Moira, in 1981. He was a keen golfer and a fan of horse racing.

He was the fierce campaigner and master tactician who succeeded in reshaping Scottish politics beyond recognition.

Loved and loathed in equal measure, but few could deny Alex Salmond’s immense impact both north – and south – of the border.

History will remember Mr Salmond, who has died aged 69, as the leader who took the SNP to the brink of achieving the party’s dream of independence in 2014 – arguably no one has done as much as Mr Salmond to advance the nationalist cause.

Born in Linlithgow in 1954, Alexander Elliot Anderson Salmond was educated at Linlithgow Academy and St Andrew’s University, where he first joined the SNP.

Graduating with a degree in economics and history, he worked as an economist for both the Government Economic Service and the Royal Bank of Scotland before being elected as an MP for the Banff and Buchan constituency in 1987.

His election at Westminster followed a turbulent period for the SNP, which saw its number of seats fall from 11 to two in the 1979 general election.

He characterised his early time at Westminster as “a one-man campaign of parliamentary disruption” – best illustrated when he was ejected from the chamber during the 1988 budget.

As a young and brash newcomer, Mr Salmond played a role in the breakaway faction of the party known as the “79 Group” which sought to take a more left-wing stance.

His brief expulsion as a result did not hinder his advancement within the party in the long term, with his election to leader coming in 1990.

With the creation of the Scottish Parliament in 1999, he went on to serve as leader of the opposition at Holyrood, while retaining his seat at Westminster.

He stood down as SNP leader in 2000 and left the Scottish Parliament in 2001.

Returning as leader in 2004, he guided his party to a narrow Scottish election win in 2007 and then led a minority government as he became Scotland’s first SNP First Minister – a feat many thought was unachievable.

SNP MSP for Aberdeenshire East Gillian Martin said Mr Salmond was “an ever-present figure in Scottish politics who made a huge difference”.

In a post on social media, Ms Martin added: “I was fortunate to spend time with him as a candidate taking on his former seat of Aberdeenshire East.

“An ever-present figure in Scottish politics who made a huge difference.”

SNP group leader at Westminster Stephen Flynn has praised Alex Salmond for shaping “not just the modern story of the SNP, but of Scotland as a whole”.

The MP said: “Alex Salmond shaped not just the modern story of the SNP, but of Scotland as a whole.

“For many of us who joined the path to independence, we did so on a route that he had carved. I am immeasurably sad that Alex has not lived to see us reach the end of that journey.”

Jeremy Corbyn has praised Alex Salmond as “formidable, determined and principled to his core”.

In a post on X, the former Labour Party leader said: “Very sad to hear of Alex Salmond’s passing.

“He was formidable, determined and principled to his core.

“We will miss his tenacity and humour most. My thoughts are with his family and friends in Scotland and around the world.”