THE deputy leader of the Alba Party has said it is too soon to consider what Alex Salmond’s death will mean for the organisation as he reflected on the ex-first minister's legacy.
Kenny MacAskill, who was an MP until he lost his seat in July, said in their last meeting with each other things "had been coming together for Alex" despite how he had faced challenges in attracting sufficient support for Alba to get politicians elected to parliament.
In paying tribute to the former first minister, MacAskill said Salmond’s political record was “unsurpassed” as he took the SNP from being a “small party” to one that has now been in government for 17 years.
MacAskill spoke of Salmond’s influence in setting up the Scottish Parliament and taking Scottish independence from a “fanciful dream” to an idea almost half the country bought into in the referendum in 2014.
After resigning from the SNP, Salmond formed the pro-independence Alba Party in 2021 and had been leader prior to his death.
READ MORE: North Macedonia conference leader describes moment Alex Salmond died
Asked what his passing would mean for the party, MacAskill said now was a “time to grieve” the loss of their leader.
He said: “At the present moment, this is a time to grieve. It’s the time to reflect on Alex’s legacy.
The Alba Party no longer have any representatives at Westminster, with both MacAskill and former MP Neale Hanvey both losing their seats in July. They had defected to Alba from the SNP in 2021.
READ MORE: Alex Salmond's last Twitter post: 'Scotland is a country not a county'
Ash Regan is the party’s sole representative at Holyrood, having decided to switch allegiance from the SNP in October last year.
Asked about how Salmond was affected by the lack of electoral success of the Alba Party, MacAskill suggested things had been looking up recently.
He told PA: “When I was last meeting with him, and it wasn’t that long ago, very, very recently, things were coming together for Alex, and indeed, things are looking far more propitious for the Alba Party.
“Alex was chirpy and cheery. He was always a cheery chap in many ways, certainly gave that public perception, even when privately there were issues challenging.
“But as I say, I think Alex had already founded the modern SNP, taking it to success, and he was embarking on doing it yet again in a different political party.”
Salmond collapsed following his appearance at a conference in North Macedonia on Saturday.
Mark Donfried, director of the Academy for Cultural Diplomacy, said that during a lunch Salmond collapsed into the arms of one of his colleagues.
READ MORE: The National readers invited to share their memories of Alex Salmond
Looking back on his Salmond’s career, MacAskill added: “His lifetime has delivered so much. His political record as unsurpassed, I think, in Scottish politics, not simply in his generation, but going back many generations.
“This is a man who took a small party, persuaded me and others to join it, when Scotland was to some extent, and certainly the nationalist community, on his knees.
“There was no Scottish Parliament. There seemed no likelihood of there one coming, and independence was viewed as a fanciful dream.
“This is a man who got us to a situation where we have a Holyrood parliament. We came within a whisker of independence in a referendum. And where independence now polls regularly not far off 50%. That is the legacy of Alex Salmond, that one man delivered so much more.”
Regan said online on Saturday that Salmond “had the nation believe in itself” and was a “tour de force” in politics.
Alba general secretary Chris McEleny shared a tribute to Salmond, writing: "Thank you for all your lessons, advice, guidance, mentorship, love and friendship. And thank you for everything you did for Scotland.
"For many years you were the father of the nation and for several years you’ve been a father like figure to me. Our dream will live forever."
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