Salmond left indelible mark on Scotland, Holyrood told as ex-leader remembered

Tributes have been paid to Alex Salmond at Holyrood as MSPs debated a special motion of condolence, with the former first minister said to have “left an indelible mark on Scotland”.

The leaders of the parties shared their memories of Mr Salmond and passed on their condolences to his family and friends during the session in the debating chamber on Wednesday.

Mr Salmond was laid to rest near his home in Aberdeenshire on Tuesday, following his death at the age of 69 in North Macedonia.

Presiding Officer Alison Johnstone was the first to deliver a tribute, saying Mr Salmond’s “contribution to the development and life of this Parliament is an integral part of our history”.

She said messages of tribute had been received from governments and parliaments around the world.

First Minister John Swinney spoke next, with his motion recognising “the substantial and significant contribution (Mr Salmond) made over many decades to public life”.

He said: “Alex Salmond left an indelible mark on Scotland and on Scottish and United Kingdom politics and public life.”

The First Minister recalled meeting Mr Salmond for the first time in 1981 as one of a handful of young Scottish nationalists in Edinburgh – a group who were trying to “stir things up for our cause”.

He served for seven years as Mr Salmond’s finance secretary, hailing the former first minister as “a man o’ independent mind” – a reference to a Burns poem.

Mr Swinney acknowledged their relationship “changed” over the past six years.

He said Mr Salmond came “so close” to winning Scottish independence and urged current supporters of the cause to “make that case and win that future”.

Scottish Conservative leader Russell Findlay said that whatever views may be on Mr Salmond’s politics, “we can surely all recognise his duty and commitment to public service”.

Mr Findlay, who entered Holyrood in 2021, said he did not know Mr Salmond personally “but everyone in Scotland knew Alex Salmond the politician – nationalist or unionist, there was no ignoring him”.

Mr Findlay added: “As a former journalist I appreciated his flair for understanding how to grab attention and make headlines.”

Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar said it is “hard to imagine the world of Scottish politics without Alex Salmond on our screens, on our airwaves on doorsteps or podiums”, and added that his “impact and legacy on Scottish politics could not be overstated”.

He said Mr Salmond was a parliamentary colleague of his father Mohammad Sarwar at Westminster, who was a Labour MP.

During this time, Mr Salmond tried to convince the Sarwars should “ditch the Labour Party and join the SNP” – with Mr Sarwar saying this demonstrated the “bold confidence” that allowed the former first minister to defy political odds.

Nicola Sturgeon did not attend the motion of condolence event on Wednesday.

The two former leaders were closely aligned for much of their careers but became irreconcilably split in recent years.

Asked earlier whether she would attend the motion of condolence, she told STV: “I feel the loss of someone who for many years was an incredibly important person in my life.

“At the same time, I cannot pretend that the events of the past few years did not happen.

“At a very human level, I have been wrestling with how to pay appropriate respect to an individual who had a big impact on me – and on the life of the country – but in a way that feels right, and which does not distract from the grief of Alex’s family, who are the people who matter most right now.

“Weighing all this up, I have concluded that it is best for me to remember Alex privately.”