Alex Salmond, former First Minister of Scotland, dies aged 69

Alex Salmond, the former First Minister of Scotland, has died aged 69.

He had been delivering a speech in North Macedonia earlier today. Salmond led the country from 2007 to 2014 before he was succeeded by Nicola Sturgeon.

He was twice leader of the Scottish National Party, from 1990 to 2000 and from 2004 to 2014. He later left the SNP and became leader of the Alba Party, pro-independence movement

A spokesman for Alba said on X: "The sad news of Alex Salmond's passing today will come as a shock to all who knew him in Scotland, across the UK and beyond. Our thoughts are with his family and friends at this difficult time and on behalf of Scottish Labour I offer our sincere condolences to all who will be mourning his loss. Alex was a central figure in politics for over three decades and his contribution to the Scottish political landscape cannot be overstated.

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"It is right that we recognise Alex's service to our country as First Minister and to the communities he represented both as MP and MSP." The Daily Record reports that Salmond is considered one of the most transformative political figures in modern Scottish political history.

His first spell as SNP leader resulted in him taking his party from the fringes to the main opposition party at Holyrood, before resigning in 2000. He was elected for a second time as SNP leader in 2004 before taking his party into Government for the first time three years later.

He was widely judged to have led a successful SNP Government before winning a landslide Holyrood election in 2011 and securing an independence referendum. Independence was rejected and he quit as leader in 2014.

His latter years in politics were marked by a breakdown in relations between him and his protégé, Nicola Sturgeon. They fell out over an unlawful investigation by her Government into conduct claims against him.

He later quit the SNP and formed Alba. He is survived by his wife Moira.