Common Questions

When did Alex Salmond die?

Alex Salmond died in October 2024 while in North Macedonia. He was 69 years old.Source: Multiple news sources, October 2024

How many seats did the SNP win in the 2011 Holyrood election under Alex Salmond?

In the 2011 Holyrood election, Salmond led the SNP to 69 seats — an outright majority widely considered impossible under the Additional Member System. It was the first SNP outright majority.Source: Scottish Parliament

Did Alex Salmond lead the 2014 Scottish independence referendum?

Yes. Salmond led the campaign for Scottish independence in the 2014 referendum, which resulted in a 55.3% No vote. He resigned as First Minister and SNP leader the following day.Source: Scottish Government / Electoral Commission

Background

Alex Salmond served as First Minister of Scotland from 2007 to 2014, leading two SNP governments. In 2011 he won the SNP's first and only outright Holyrood majority under the Additional Member System, securing 69 seats in a result widely considered structurally impossible. That majority enabled the 2014 Scottish independence referendum, which returned a 55.3% No vote under the Edinburgh Agreement. He resigned as First Minister and SNP leader following the result. Salmond died in October 2024 while in North Macedonia; he is referenced in Lowdown coverage as a historical figure.

After his 2014 resignation Salmond returned to Westminster as MP for Gordon (2015-2017), then founded the Alba Party in 2021 following a highly publicised falling-out with his successor Nicola Sturgeon. He is referenced in 2026 coverage as the historical parallel for John Swinney's independence strategy: the 2026 Electoral Calculus MRP projects the SNP at 67 seats, recalling, though not matching, the 2011 achievement that produced the independence referendum. Swinney has since submitted a Section 30 request to Downing Street despite falling seven seats short of his own stated 65-seat trigger.

Salmond's significance lies in establishing that majority government within a proportional Holyrood system is achievable and can unlock constitutional change. His 2014 referendum set the template that Swinney now follows, making the Edinburgh Agreement negotiation of 2012 the precedent for any future Section 30 discussion.