Alex Salmond

**Alexander Elliot Anderson Salmond** ( ; 31 December 1954 – 12 October 2024) was a Scottish politician, economist and television host. He was the First Minister of Scotland from 2007 to 2014. He was also the Leader of the Scottish National Party (SNP) from 2004 to 2014. He was an important figure in the Scottish independence movement.

## Early life

Salmond was born in Linlithgow, Scotland. He studied at the University of St Andrews. He became an economist at the Royal Bank of Scotland. In 1981, he married Moira McGlashan.

## Political career

Salmond became a Member of Parliament (MP) for the constituency of Banff and Buchan at the 1987 General Election. In 1990, Alex Salmond became the leader of the Scottish National Party. He became a Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) for Banff and Buchan at the 1999 Scottish Parliament Election and resigned as SNP leader in 2000.

Salmond became the party leader again in 2004 and stood in the 2007 Scottish Parliament election for the constituency of Gordon. At this election, the SNP received the highest number of seats and the highest share of the vote in Scotland, but did not have enough seats to form a majority government. The SNP went on to form a minority government with Alex Salmond becoming First Minister.

Alex Salmond was against the 2003 invasion of Iraq and was one of several MPs who called for Prime Minister Tony Blair to be impeached. At the 2010 General Election, Alex Salmond stood down as a Member of Parliament but argued against the BBC's decision not to allow the SNP on the televised Prime Ministerial Debates.

On 19 September 2014, following the results of the independence referendum which confirmed a majority of the Scottish people had voted to remain as part of the United Kingdom, Salmond announced that he would be resigning as First Minister in November 2014. Salmond formally resigned as First Minister on 18 November 2014, with his deputy, Nicola Sturgeon taking office two days later.

## Death

Salmond died from a heart attack on 12 October 2024 after delivering a speech in Ohrid, North Macedonia at the age of 69.

## Other websites

- First Minister (Scotland.gov.uk)
- Official biography (www.snp.org)
- Guardian profile, Electoral history and profile (guardian.co.uk)
- TheyWorkForYou.com
- Voting Record — Alex Salmond MP, Banff & Buchan (10525) (The Public Whip)

## Infobox (officeholder)

- **embed**: yes
- **office5**: Member of Parliament (United Kingdom), Member of Parliament
for Gordon (UK Parliament constituency), Gordon
- **term start5**: 8 May 2015
- **term end5**: 3 May 2017
- **predecessor5**: Malcolm Bruce
- **successor5**: Colin Clark (politician), Colin Clark
- **office6**: Member of the Scottish Parliament
for Aberdeenshire East

- **term start6**: 3 May 2007
- **term end6**: 24 March 2016
- **predecessor6**: Nora Radcliffe
- **successor6**: Gillian Martin
- **office7**: Member of the Scottish Parliament
for Banff and Buchan (Scottish Parliament constituency), Banff and Buchan
- **term start7**: 6 May 1999
- **term end7**: 7 June 2001
- **predecessor7**: _Constituency established_
- **successor7**: Stewart Stevenson
- **office8**: Member of Parliament
for Banff and Buchan (UK Parliament constituency), Banff and Buchan
- **term start8**: 12 June 1987
- **term end8**: 12 April 2010
- **predecessor8**: Albert McQuarrie
- **successor8**: Eilidh Whiteford


## Infobox (officeholder)

- **honorific-prefix**: The Right Honourable
- **name**: Alex Salmond
- **image**: Alex Salmond, First Minister of Scotland (cropped).jpg
- **caption**: Official portrait, 2007
- **office1**: Leader of the Alba Party
- **deputy1**: Kenny MacAskill
- **term start1**: 26 March 2021
- **term end1**: 12 October 2024
- **predecessor1**: Laurie Flynn
- **office**: First Minister of Scotland
- **monarch**: Elizabeth II
- **deputy**: Nicola Sturgeon
- **term start**: 17 May 2007
- **term end**: 18 November 2014
- **predecessor**: Jack McConnell
- **successor**: Nicola Sturgeon
- **office2**: Leader of the Scottish National Party
- **deputy2**: Nicola Sturgeon
- **term start2**: 3 September 2004
- **term end2**: 14 November 2014
- **predecessor2**: John Swinney
- **successor2**: Nicola Sturgeon
- **deputy3**: Alasdair Morgan
Jim Sillars
Allan Macartney
John Swinney
- **term start3**: 22 September 1990
- **term end3**: 26 September 2000
- **predecessor3**: Gordon Wilson (Scottish politician), Gordon Wilson
- **successor3**: John Swinney
- **office4**: Scottish National Party#Deputy Leader of the Scottish National Party, Deputy Leader of the Scottish National Party
- **leader4**: Gordon Wilson
- **term start4**: 26 September 1987
- **term end4**: 22 September 1990
- **predecessor4**: Margaret Ewing
- **successor4**: Alasdair Morgan
- **birth name**: Alexander Elliot Anderson Salmond
- **birth place**: Linlithgow, Scotland
- **death place**: Ohrid, North Macedonia
- **death cause**: Heart attack
- **party**: Alba Party (2021–2024)
- **education**: Edinburgh Napier University, Edinburgh College of Commerce
University of St Andrews
- **cabinet**: * First Salmond government
* Second Salmond government
- **2blankname1**: House of Commons of the United Kingdom, UK Parliament Leader
- **2namedata1**: Neale Hanvey