Alex Salmond, Scotlands Former First Minister, Dies at 69

Alex Salmond, the former first minister of Scotland who campaigned for the country to leave the United Kingdom and led the nation during an independence referendum, has died at 69.The news was confirmed by Anas Sarwar, the leader of Scotland’s Labour Party, in a statement posted on social media.Mr.

Salmond died after delivering a speech in North Macedonia, the BBC reported.Mr.Salmond had led the Scottish National Party twice, guiding it from a fringe political group into a powerful force that won an overall majority in the Scottish Parliament in 2011.He led the nation during the 2014 independence referendum, but resigned from his post after the Scottish public decided that Scotland should remain a part of the United Kingdom.Mr.

Sarwar said Mr.Salmond was “a central figure in politics for over three decades and his contribution to the Scottish political landscape can not be overstated.”He added: “The sad news of Alex Salmond’s passing today will come as a shock to all who knew him in Scotland, across the U.K.

and beyond.”This is a developing story....