Glasgow (England), Oct 12 (EFE).- The sudden death this Saturday of Alex Salmond, former Scottish first minister and architect of the failed independence referendum in 2014, caused a wave of reaction among the British political class, led by the Prime Minister, Keir Starmer.

Starmer called the veteran politician, who died during a visit to North Macedonia aged 69, a “monumental figure in Scottish and British politics”, who “left a lasting legacy”.

Scottish Labor Party spokesman Anas Sarwar paid tribute to “a central figure” in Scottish politics, while UK Conservative Party leader and former Head of London Rishi Sunak said in X that “Alex Salmond was a huge figure.”

“While I disagree with him on constitutional issues, no one can deny his ability to debate or his love of politics. May he rest in peace,” he said.

John Swinney, the current senior Scottish Government minister and leader of the Scottish National Party (SNP) – which Salmond led twice between 1990 and 2014 – said he was “extremely shocked and saddened” by the news.

He acknowledged that Salmond “took the SNP from the fringes of Scottish politics into government and brought Scotland closer to becoming an independent country”.

“Alex worked tirelessly and fought fearlessly for the country he loved and its independence,” he added.

Salmond’s successor in 2014 as Scotland’s first minister and leader of the SNP, Nicola Sturgeon, paid tribute to her political mentor and “a very important figure” in her life.

“Obviously, I can’t pretend that the events of the last few years, which led to the breakdown of our relationship, didn’t happen, and it wouldn’t be right to try,” he added.

Sturgeon’s successor and Swinney’s predecessor, Humza Yousaf, said he and Salmond “had differences of opinion in recent years” but praised the “huge contribution he has made to Scottish and British politics”.

The new leader of the Scottish Conservatives, Russell Findlay, also noted Salmond’s dedication to public service and said that his “influence will be remembered for a long time.”

Salmond is a well-known political figure in England, identified with the struggle for Scottish independence, which he defended from his youth.

According to local media, the Alba Party, which he founded in 2021 after quitting the SNP in 2018, has contacted the British Foreign Office to request assistance in repatriating his body to the UK.EFE