‘Incomparable’ Alex Salmond made Scottish nationalism soar before he and SNP soured

On Saturday evening, the flags at the Scottish Parliament were lowered in tribute to Alex Salmond, the former First Minister who significantly changed the Scottish National Party and brought Scotland very close to achieving independence.

People from various political backgrounds and across the globe quickly expressed their admiration for the accomplishments of this highly skilled and polarizing leader, who influenced Scottish politics for many years. Within the SNP, the party he transformed into a vibrant and successful electoral force, there was a sense of disbelief and profound sadness.

However, his legacy after the referendum was largely overshadowed by the breakdown of his significant relationship with Nicola Sturgeon. She took over as first minister and considered him a mentor throughout her career.

Ten years after that referendum, there was a moment of thoughtful contemplation among long-time SNP members on Saturday regarding the difficult aftermath of the last seven years. This period led to Salmond's frustrated departure from the party, after which he established a new pro-independence group named Alba, which means Scotland in Gaelic, to compete with the SNP.

Salmond pointed the finger at Sturgeon for the way the Scottish government dealt with the early allegations of sexual harassment that were made against him. This situation eventually led to a criminal trial where he was remarkably found not guilty of all accusations, as well as a parliamentary investigation in Holyrood.

“It was a divide within a relatively small, close-knit group of individuals who had brought the party to its current status,” stated Michael Russell, a former Scottish government minister and ex-SNP chief executive under Salmond, who was part of that inner circle with current First Minister John Swinney. “It was a tough situation, but now is the time to consider his accomplishments.”

"There was no one like him," remarked Russell, who served as Salmond's campaign manager when he took on the leadership role in 1990. "The party quickly understood that he was truly a remarkable asset."

"He was dedicated to the mission of reaching out to everyone in Scotland. He had a remarkable talent for relating to others while also maintaining a broader perspective on things." Russell mentioned that he understood "the importance of visibility" and played a key role in elevating the SNP's image to the extent that voters began to see it as a viable option for governance.

It's fair to say that Salmond's achievements as a leader were significantly shaped by his partnership with Sturgeon. While he was in Westminster during the mid-2000s, she was instrumental in strengthening the SNP’s presence in the Scottish Parliament. Additionally, she expanded the referendum campaign to attract younger, left-leaning voters in urban areas.

The 2014 independence referendum marked the peak of their partnership, but after losing his seat in Westminster in 2017, he chose not to retreat and embrace the senior mentor position that was expected of him. This created challenges for his successor. To her frustration, he decided to collaborate with the Kremlin-funded channel Russia Today and took on a role at the Edinburgh Fringe, where he made inappropriate jokes about women.

Although he became a more and more controversial figure, it's impossible to exaggerate the influence he had on Scottish politics and later on the movement for independence.

In 1973, Salmond became a member of the party he would later lead while studying at St Andrews University. After finishing his degree, he worked as an economist at the Royal Bank of Scotland. However, Salmond was also a political activist and part of the 79 Group, which aimed to shift the SNP toward more progressive policies in order to attract frustrated Labour voters who were unhappy with the UK government's inability to provide devolution.

He was elected to Westminster in 1987 and assumed the role of party leader in 1990. His talent for debate shone through as he embraced the position of opposition leader in the inaugural Scottish parliament.

He was widely recognized for his passion for betting on horse races, and his political journey also featured instances where he made bold bets that turned out to be successful.

Right after the 2007 Holyrood elections, where the SNP secured only one seat more than the ruling Labour party in a parliament set up for coalition governance, Salmond boldly declared in front of a helicopter that his party was victorious and would lead the next minority government. His opponents quickly accepted his stance.

A clever strategist, he prepared candidates to "behave like champions," successfully dismantling the Holyrood system by securing a majority in 2011. This accomplishment marked the first time in 25 years of devolution that any party had achieved such a feat.

This pro-independence majority set the stage for a significant agreement with the UK Prime Minister at the time, David Cameron, to conduct a referendum in 2014 that would ask a straightforward question about Scotland's independence.

“He altered the narrative, and in doing so, he transformed the story of Scotland,” remarked Eilidh Whiteford, who took over from Salmond as the Member of Parliament for the Banff and Buchan area after he went back to Holyrood as the SNP leader.

I feel incredibly fortunate to have had him as a friend, guide, and supervisor, and I am grateful for everything he has done for me. Working with him was challenging but also a lot of fun. He truly had the highest aspirations for our nation.

Fergus Mutch, who previously worked as an advisor to Salmond, mentioned that Salmond enjoyed being active and social.

“He genuinely cared about people and always made time for them,” Mutch noted, explaining that Salmond saw the increasing dissatisfaction with the Labour party in Scotland as a chance for the nationalists. “Like any politician, he paid close attention to opinion polls, but he believed the best insights came from direct conversations with voters.”

Although Salmond could be quite strict and demanding at times, he also understood the importance of friendship, bonding, and relaxing over a few drinks.