The National:

Good evening! This week's edition of the In Common newsletter comes from Kaitlin Dryburgh, policy and communications co-ordinator at Common Weal. To receive the newsletter direct to your inbox every week, click here.

IT was my first time voting. My first opportunity to have my say on the direction of the country. The referendum made me sit up and take note of our politics with more urgency than before because like many 16-year-olds, this time I was participating.

It was in this instance that I became familiar with Alex Salmond, his speeches, his mannerisms, and what he stood for. All of which is still very clear today. He was a titan in the political arena. Not only did he normalise the concept of independence in Scotland, but he led a movement smashing from the undercurrents and into the mainstream. He was a figurehead, that goes without saying, yet did so in a way where he didn’t fully embody independence, he didn’t own it. He led government but he wasn’t the government.

His unexpected and sad death has led to shock waves throughout Scotland and further around the world. Although his sway and influence may have dimmed in recent years this in no way impacted on the acknowledgment of what he achieved and the respect afforded by other politicians and the public. You simply cannot dispute his accomplishments.

With the death of a leader such as Salmond it gives time for reflection of various degrees. It does however beg the questions: "What’s next for political leadership?"

Salmond was definitely a character and like every person came with faults. Yet he was a solid leader. He was a tireless campaigner. He steered government and campaigned with purpose.

As one of the youngest to vote in the referendum I didn’t experience a lot of Alex Salmond as Scotland’s leader, but I know that his style was one that is perhaps viewed as a thing of the past.

Maybe marred with a brute-like style, harsh and ruthless in some of his dealings. My generation are constantly told this is something to leave in the past, perhaps a "cancellable" offense in some cases. We need a lighter touch, a warmer and friendlier approach. But if that is the case, why are his successors failing? Why are the politicians that came after him (regardless of party or country) not quite standing up to his leadership style?

READ MORE: Alex Salmond's family issue statement on bringing body to Scotland

Nowadays, at times, we actively seek softer leadership, flat organisation structures, and just a new way of doing things. But it’s sometimes hard to believe that’s what we truly want. A 2023 study found that young people are straying away from democracy and even leaning towards authoritarian regimes, compared to their elders.

Now by no means do I advocate for this. Needless to say, democracy is the way. Yet this is very much the opposite of what we’ve been led to believe the younger generation wants. We’re often quick to dismiss older styles of leadership, but perhaps this isn’t on the whole what we want.

Salmond was of a different generation to many of the politicians we see now. Maybe some would look down on his "Boomer" ways, but he was a politician who stood behind the words he said in Parliament and believed that those words mattered. His strong style was reassuring and although the heavy handedness is not always appropriate it keeps staff and Cabinet under control. In recent times we have seen these groups breaking down on multiple occasions.

(Image: PA)

If we look to Keir Starmer today we know that he’s just following an increasing line of Westminster politicians who don’t always mean what they say. Their wishy-washy style is doing nothing to reassure anyone. Keir may try and pretend he’s of a new generation of politician, one that is apparently straight-talking, but doesn’t dabble in the strong characters of times gone by. However, this has left him a rather uncharismatic and forgettable character, (apart from calling hostages sausages, I will never forget that).

We’ve got a man in a "cost of giving crisis" who just doesn’t seem to grasp what the right things to do and say are. His predecessor Rishi Sunak also couldn’t quite get the hang of it either, leaving D-day commemorations and complaining about sacrificing Sky as a child. They may want to stray from the strong characters of yesteryears, but it doesn’t seem to be working for anyone.

So perhaps young people aren’t quite looking to revert back to the good old days of politics. We have after all come too far to do that. But maybe Salmond is a reminder, flaws and all, that there was a reason characters like him achieved so much and inspired so many. Personally I don’t see the likes of Keir Starmer inspiring on the same level. Without strong leaders it’s hard to see where the new talent will come from.