Alex Salmond Dies Aged 69
It is difficult to write about Alex Salmond without sounding like a sycophant or an obsessed hater. He was a fiercely competent politician that ripped apart the Labour government securing a SNP majority in Holyrood which the electoral system was designed to prevent. At the same time be was also the politician that arguably caused a cavernous rift in the SNP and neutered the party for more than half a decade. That odd duplicity, the man who heralded in an almost uncontested seventeen years of SNP dominance but also split the party and prevented them from pursuing their key policy since 2014.
It is important to remember whenever any political figure dies that they weren't just the statesman we saw on the TV or who lived in column inches. He was a husband survived by his wife Moira and his family. Our thoughts go out to those that are personally suffering at the loss of a loved one
It is interesting to view Scottish politics through the life of Alex Salmond. When Salmond entered the scene Labour were the dominant force and by the time Salmond departed Labour is third to the Tories. Independence went from a fringe opinion to either a fat minority or slim majority opinion and an independent Scotland went from a distant ideal to within reach. Although it must be said that without his force of will there would have been no referendum and certainly they would have struggled to get anywhere near 45% of Scots backing it. Without his powerful command of the English language and ability to hold together a broad church of supporters the independence campaign would have fallen into petty infighting and obsessed with finding the true Scotsman… when it comes to independence the No True Scotsman might be the most aptly named fallacy.
Yet for all his successes Salmond will be more remembered for the defeats he suffered. He lost in 2014 to the unionists, he lost in the court of public opinion (whilst winning in the legal courts) and ultimately he lost the SNP. A titan of Scottish politics which won every battle he fought but lost the wars. I can't help but wonder how his latest political experiment will fare without the titan figure leading them. Alba runs the risk of fizzling away without the media presence the former first minister brought. His gravitas drove the party which could have just been a protest party into something a touch more mainstream and whilst they failed at the ballot box their power was felt. It is too early to say what will come of Alba, maybe the characteristically uncharismatic Ash Regan will suddenly step forth and become a goliath figure.
The truth is though that Salmond was a complicated man. Whilst cleared of sexual assault allegations the number of accusers and the similar stories they told does paint any view of him with a dirty brush. It is difficult to avoid the allegations when thinking about his effect on Scottish politics, the sleaze that now engulf the SNP rings a similar tune to the sleaze he could have been involved in. Just sleaze of a different kind. Any historic allegation will both be difficult to prove or disprove, hence why the not proven verdict shows how unsure the jury could be. In years to come his guilt or innocence will be debated and used to paint his entire personality and career.
The other issue facing Salmond was his odd commitment to taking down the SNP at any cost. When he left the party following the allegations he started a campaign against the party. Pursuing electoral victory with Alba, directly running against the SNP, and also, through his Russia Today show which regularly was used to rally against the SNP and what he viewed as deeply distracting and damaging policies. Usually centred around trans issues. I would love to understand the psychological reason why once you take a stand on trans issues it suddenly becomes your whole personality, see JK Rowling for patient zero. I am not even stating a particular view on the issue but more so that those that do state views become obsessed with repeatedly stating those views.
Salmond was right that the nationalist cause became distracted, favouring niche topics that only appeal to a shrinking voter base but it is tough to say trans issues is the key issue. Most of the policies would have just quietly passed and been ignored by the wider electorate if not for the media storm that was riled up around it. I am not one to defend the SNP but on this one issue it seems odd to blame them.
Overall though it is tough to view anything about Salmond right now in strictly political terms. I met him when I was just a kid on a school trip to Holyrood and I remember him spending time talking to us. Right now that is allI can think about when it came to writing this article. Beyond the allegations, twisty turnyy political career and promotion of policies I both agree and disagree with he was first and foremost a committed politician that pushed what he thought was right with gusto. With his death we have lost one of the few remaining titans of British (although he would rather I say Scottish) politics. We are losing elder states people at a greater rate than we are creating them. When you see the pygmy sharks that are currently swimming in the Westminster/Holyrood waters it makes you long for the great white of yester year.
Alex Salmond, 1954 to 2024
