Former leader of the Scottish National Party, Alex Salmond dies at 69

Sunday, October 13, 2024 

Alex Salmond died on Saturday October 12, 2024. He was a former leader of the Scottish National Party (SNP) and was a member of the Scottish Parliament. He fell ill while at North Macedonia and collapsed at lunch from what appeared to be a heart attack shortly after making a speech in an international conference. Someone filed a report at around 15:30 to Ohrid police station. Emergency medical staff arrived and Salmond was pronounced dead at the scene.

Alex Salmons in 2022.
Image: Katie Chan.

Salmond supported Scottish independence from the UK and was the earliest first minister to do so.

Keir Starmer (the current Prime Minister in the UK and leader of the Labour Party), Rishi Sunak (the previous Prime Minister and leader of the Conservative Party), Ian Murray (Scotland's Secretary of State) and Andrew Neil (journalist) have responded to Salmond's death. Starmer said that Salmond 'cared deeply about Scotland and communities he represented'.

Sources

• "Tributes to Scotland's former First Minister Alex Salmond after death aged 69" — BBC News, 12th October 2024.
• "Scotland's former First Minister Alex Salmond dies age 69" — BBC News, 12th October 2024.
• "Former First Minister of Scotland Alex Salmond dies" — Sky News, 12th October 2024.
• "Members of the Scottish Parliament (MSPs): Alex Salmond" — The Scottish Parliament, 2024