THE exquisite memorial service on Saturday for Scotland’s most extraordinary first minister,Alex Salmond, perfectly encapsulated who Alex was as a man and his beloved Scotland.
The Salmond Clan have demonstrated grace, strength and resilience that Alex would be proud of, throughout their incredibly painful loss.
Christina Hendry beautifully represented Alex’s family with such poise as she painted a picture of the man behind the political giant: Uncle Alex, a husband, brother, uncle and dear friend who inspired, advised and loved them.
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The service wove through many aspects of Alex’s incredible life, from his long-time dear friends Kenny and Fergus.
Kenny MacAskill (below) stepped up to steady and steer our Alba Party through Alex’s devastating loss.
His powerful speech and Fergus Ewing’s poignant reading were so moving. The reading by Alex’s long-term Westminster political opponent and friend, Tory MP David Davis, demonstrated inclusion perfectly. It is more than just a soundbite – at least for some politicians. We are people first; everyone benefits when we find common ground to progress through respect and the persuasion of good arguments.
The eclectic music that spanned the service celebrated our diverse cultural heritage while uniting us in our shared love for Scotland.
Sheena Wellington’s gorgeous voice inspired the whole of St Giles’ Cathedral to join in such a spine-tingling rendition. I smiled at some nearby Unionist politicians as I suggested I had Alba membership forms in my bag if needed. Alex knew that politics is about seizing the moments of opportunity.
Duncan Hamilton KC was Scotland’s youngest MSP when elected in 1999. He also worked as an adviser to Alex before embarking on a distinguished legal career. His speech from the pulpit was electric, with a blend of gravitas, detail, witty one-liners and the depths of subtle points that will leave earworms for some to ponder.
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Alex would have loved Saturday, grinning from ear to ear at the palpable love and respect in the cathedral, lining the streets, and online, and at the assurance that Scotland was in safe hands.
Alex is a catalyst for this next political and civic generation, which will both finish the job of independence that he and others started and commence the privileged hard work of building a better Scotland for all. His legacy calls us to engage in the political process and to be the change we want to see in our country.
When Alex went to press to endorse Kate Forbes and myself as SNP leader and first minister candidates in 2023, he helped to instil a self-belief that fired up my certainty and determination for our country. His unwavering commitment to Scottish independence and his ability to find common ground in politics inspired me to pursue all avenues to deliver our shared dream for Scotland. His endorsement validated the next generation of leadership and a reminder of the many paths that can lead to the same destination by focusing.
Since joining Alba last October, I have been allowed the space and support to define a more straightforward path to work constructively in the spirit of the 2007 Parliament while keeping my eyes fixed on addressing the root cause of abominations like fuel poverty in our energy-abundant nation. In a country with such abundant resources, many of our citizens still struggle to keep their homes warm, demonstrating the urgency to do more; independence is the key to addressing such fundamental failures.
I’ve built bridges across the Parliament to deliver on the priorities of the people of Scotland. I enter every vote and negotiation as a straight-talking, honest broker, and as Alex’s 2007 government realised, it works. I will miss my talks with Alex, where we didn’t always agree, but he trusted my decisions and always supported me.
I have worked constructively with the Government on the budget, and although Alba have one vote, it is a meaningful one optically for independence supporters. I have focused on my core principles of protecting the vulnerable and delivering on commitments to demonstrate competent government to build confidence in independence.
The fiscal framework relationship with the UK continues to frustrate any real progress for Scotland, but that will only change if we become the change with independence.
Alex was proud that I was progressing with Alba’s first piece of legislation, my member’s bill on tackling the commercial sexual exploitation of prostitution, by achieving the cross-party support hurdle only three days after my consultation closed. He knew better than anyone that being in the room matters in politics.
The SNP have obscured the North Star of Scottish independence by managing in devolved power for too long without an exit plan to independence. It is time to restore self-determination as our shared raison d’etre and inspire a scunnered electorate that they have something tangible to vote for again. Independence – nothing less.
Shrewd politics is all about timing; even the most ardent Unionists cannot now deny that a political generation has passed since 84% of Scotland was inspired to vote on September 18, 2014. With the loss of Alistair Darling – poignantly, a year to the day before Alex’s memorial service – and many indy “big hitters” moving on to the book circuit, it is time for Scotland to take a fresh look at who we are in 2024 and most importantly who we want to be.
Alex would have loved seeing Alba Youth’s Josh Robertson recite his Gaelic prayer with such aplomb. And although he was fully aware of his politically active niece Christina’s talent, he would be so proud that others now did, too.
Alex was 24 when he burst to prominence in the SNP’s 79 Group and 33 when he entered elected political life as an MP at Westminster. Three years later, Alex led the SNP and, by 2007, had led them into government in the Scottish Parliament.
Alex upgraded the Scottish Parliament from a devolved assembly, broke the model by winning a majority in 2011 and negotiated the first Scottish referendum. The SNP still hold on to the devolved government 17 years after Alex’s audacious announcement of his win in 2007, yet have failed to progress on independence for 10 years.
Power must be democratically recharged, or it dwindles. The torch to transform our self-confidence into tangible ambition for Scotland has now passed to us, so let’s grab it, open the doors to talent from across Scotland and step up to our empowered future.
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