Former SDLP leader Alasdair McDonnell has recalled his friend and Westminster colleague Alex Salmond as a man of “energy and passion”.
The Alba founder and leader died at the age of 69 on Saturday afternoon from a suspected heart attack during a trip to North Macedonia.
Mr Salmond led the Scottish National Party (SNP) to power when it won the Scottish Parliament election in 2007, having previously been the party’s leader between 1990 and 2000.
He resigned as SNP leader and first minister in 2014 following the ‘Yes’ campaign’s defeat in the Scottish independence referendum.
The former SNP leader went on to have a spectacular fallout with successor Nicola Sturgeon over her government’s mishandling of harassment complaints against him.
He was cleared of serious sexual offence charges after a trial in Edinburgh in 2020.
King Charles said he and Queen Camilla said they were “greatly saddened” to hear of Salmond’s sudden death, while former British prime minister Tony Blair said he was “very sorry”.
Mr McDonnell, the former MP for South Belfast, said it was one of his “greatest privileges to have known and worked with the late Alex Salmond”.
“He exuded so much energy and passion in everything that he engaged in; he also exuded a very genuine friendship and loyalty to his friends that I valued highly,” the retired GP said.
“Over many years I had admired the tremendous work that he had done for Scotland and the Scottish people and was delighted to get to know him when I was elected to Westminster in 2005. In Westminster he was a wonderful colleague, friend and advisor on the many interests that we had in common and had occasion to work on together.”
The former SDLP leader extended his sympathy to Mr Salmond’s widow Moira and his wider family circle.
