Alex Salmond
Alexander Elliot Anderson "Alex" Salmond (surname pronounced SAM-MOND; born 31 December 1954 in Linlithgow, Scotland) is a Scottish politician who is a former First Minister of Scotland and former leader of the Scottish National Party (SNP) which is a political party that wants Scotland to become an independent country from the United Kingdom. He is also the longest-serving First Minister of Scotland, with over seven-and-a-half years in office.
Alex Salmond | |||||||||
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.jpg) Salmond in 2011 | |||||||||
| First Minister of Scotland | |||||||||
| In office 16 May 2007 – 19 November 2014 | |||||||||
| Monarch | Elizabeth II | ||||||||
| Deputy | Nicola Sturgeon | ||||||||
| Preceded by | Jack McConnell | ||||||||
| Succeeded by | Nicola Sturgeon | ||||||||
| Leader of the Scottish National Party | |||||||||
| In office 3 September 2004 – 14 November 2014 | |||||||||
| Deputy | Nicola Sturgeon | ||||||||
| Preceded by | John Swinney | ||||||||
| Succeeded by | Nicola Sturgeon | ||||||||
| In office 22 September 1990 – 26 September 2000 | |||||||||
| Deputy | Alasdair Morgan | ||||||||
| Preceded by | Gordon Wilson | ||||||||
| Succeeded by | John Swinney | ||||||||
| Leader of the Opposition | |||||||||
| In office 12 May 1999 – 26 September 2000 | |||||||||
| Monarch | Elizabeth II | ||||||||
| First Minister | Donald Dewar | ||||||||
| Deputy | John Swinney | ||||||||
| Preceded by | Office created | ||||||||
| Succeeded by | John Swinney | ||||||||
| Depute Leader of the Scottish National Party | |||||||||
| In office 26 September 1987 – 22 September 1990 | |||||||||
| Leader | Gordon Wilson | ||||||||
| Preceded by | Margaret Ewing | ||||||||
| Succeeded by | Alasdair Morgan | ||||||||
| Member of Parliament for Gordon | |||||||||
| In office 8 May 2015 – 3 May 2017 | |||||||||
| Preceded by | Malcolm Bruce | ||||||||
| Succeeded by | Colin Clark | ||||||||
| Member of the Scottish Parliament for Aberdeenshire East | |||||||||
| In office 5 May 2011 – 24 March 2016 | |||||||||
| Preceded by | Constituency established | ||||||||
| Succeeded by | Gillian Martin | ||||||||
| Member of the Scottish Parliament for Gordon | |||||||||
| In office 3 May 2007 – 5 May 2011 | |||||||||
| Preceded by | Nora Radcliffe | ||||||||
| Succeeded by | Constituency abolished | ||||||||
| Member of the Scottish Parliament for Banff and Buchan | |||||||||
| In office 6 May 1999 – 7 June 2001 | |||||||||
| Preceded by | Constituency established | ||||||||
| Succeeded by | Stewart Stevenson | ||||||||
| Member of Parliament for Banff and Buchan | |||||||||
| In office 12 June 1987 – 12 April 2010 | |||||||||
| Preceded by | Albert McQuarrie | ||||||||
| Succeeded by | Eilidh Whiteford | ||||||||
| Personal details | |||||||||
| Born | Alexander Elliot Anderson Salmond 31 December 1954 Linlithgow, Scotland | ||||||||
| Political party | Scottish National Party (1973–2018)[a] | ||||||||
| Other political affiliations | 79 Group (1981–1982) | ||||||||
| Spouse(s) | Moira McGlashan (m. 1981) | ||||||||
| Education | Edinburgh College of Commerce University of St Andrews | ||||||||
| Signature |  | ||||||||
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Alex Salmond studied at the University of St Andrews and became an economist at the Royal Bank of Scotland. 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 then formed a minority government with Alex Salmond as 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.
Alex Salmond Media
Salmond and Nicola Sturgeon at the launch of the National Conversation, 2007
Salmond's official First Minister portrait in Bute House
Salmond at the opening of the 3rd Scottish Parliament with Elizabeth II, 2007
Salmond meets with Carrie Lam, Chief Secretary for Administration of Hong Kong
Salmond and Li Keqiang, Vice Premier of the People's Republic of China at a special reception in the Great Hall, Edinburgh Castle.
Salmond and Nicola Sturgeon at a press conference for the 2014 Scottish Independence referendum, 2012
Salmond during a visit to the United States in 2012, pictured with Mayor of Chicago Rahm Emanuel
Salmond and David Cameron sign the Edinburgh Agreement at St Andrews House, 2012
Salmond at the Festival Interceltique Lorient, 2017
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References
- ↑ "Alex Salmond". Desert Island Discs.