Swinney and Brown at memorial service for ‘giant of a man’ Alex Salmond
The former prime minister and current Scottish First Minister were among the congregation at a memorial service in Edinburgh on St Andrew’s Day.
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Your support makes all the difference.Former prime minister Gordon Brown and Scottish First Minister John Swinney were among those who remembered a “giant of a man” during a memorial service for Alex Salmond.
Tributes were paid to the former Scottish first minister, who died suddenly in North Macedonia in October at the age of 69.
A private family funeral has already taken place, with Saturday’s memorial service in Edinburgh held to celebrate his love of Scotland and his commitment to the cause of independence.
But while some 500 people, including family, friends and politicians from across the spectrum attended the service at St Giles’ Cathedral, his successor Nicola Sturgeon was not present.
A rift between her and Mr Salmond – who she had previously described as her mentor – developed during her term as SNP leader. Ms Sturgeon attended the funeral of Scottish comedian Janey Godley in Glasgow on Saturday morning.
Her successor, Mr Swinney, was met with boos as he arrived at the service – held on St Andrew’s Day – with at least one person in the crowd outside on the Royal Mile shouting “traitor”.
Mr Salmond stood down as SNP leader and first minister after the 2014 referendum in which Scots voted to stay part of the UK.
He helped found and went on to lead another pro-independence party, Alba, with Kenny MacAskill, a long-time friend who served as justice secretary in Holyrood under Mr Salmond.
Mr MacAskill, now the acting Alba leader, told the congregation – which included Mr Salmond’s widow Moira as well as Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar, former Labour first minister Henry McLeish and Scottish Conservative leader Russell Findlay – that Mr Salmond had been a “giant of man”.
Mr MacAskill, who quit the SNP to join Alba, hailed Mr Salmond as “an inspiration, a political genius” and being “most of all a man who had the cause of independence burned into his heart and seared in his soul”.
The cause of independence was Mr Salmond’s “guiding light, his north star”, the former justice secretary said, adding that “he came so close to achieving it”.
He added: “Those of us who share his dream must conclude that journey on his behalf. That’s the legacy he’d expect and the duty we owe him.”
Recalling Mr Salmond’s words from when he stood down as first minister that “the dream shall never die”, Mr MacAskill concluded his address with the words: “Your dream shall be delivered.”
Former Conservative Brexit minister and long-time friend of Mr Salmond, David Davis, gave a reading as did former Scottish government minister SNP MSP Fergus Ewing.
Scottish folk singer Dougie MacLean performed his famous song Caledonia, while singer Sheena Wellington led mourners in a rendition of Robert Burns’ classic A Man’s A Man For A’ That.
Scottish rock duo the Proclaimers were applauded for their performance of Cap in Hand – a pro-independence song which features the line “I can’t understand why we let someone else rule our land, cap in hand”.
Brothers Craig and Charlie Reid said: “We’re going to do this for Alex, with love and respect and eternal gratitude for everything you did for our country.”
Christina Hendry described her Uncle Alex as a “political giant, a strong leader, a fearless campaigner” but also remembered his as a “dearly loved husband, brother and uncle”.
While she said he had been “the top man in Scotland”, he had “always made time for his family”, recalling how he phoned her brother on his birthday – the day after the Scottish independence referendum in 2014 – to apologise for not posting a card “as he’d been busy”, before telling them he would “resigning in 10 minutes”.
She told the congregation: “As his family, we always felt loved no matter how far away he was or the time that passed before we saw him next.
“We always knew he was standing up for our country, and for that we were grateful.”
Ms Hendry continued: “The world will be a much quieter place without Uncle Alex, for Moira, for the wider family and for Scotland.
“Uncle Alex passing means a great loss for many. A loss of Scotland’s voice on the international stage. A loss of integrity in Scottish politics. And a great loss to Scotland’s independence movement.
“As a family it is likely a loss we will never get over.”
Duncan Hamilton KC, who was an SNP MSP after the first Scottish Parliament elections, but also served as a political adviser and legal counsel to Mr Salmond, said the former first minister had “rightly been hailed as one of the greatest Scottish politicians of this, or any, generation”.
He told how Mr Salmond took the SNP from being “a fringe act trying to get onto the main stage” to a party of government.
“In Scottish politics, his success was both spectacular and unrivalled,” Mr Hamilton said.
“Alex Salmond will forever be a pivotal figure in Scotland’s story. He changed a nation. He inspired a country.
“History will certainly remember him as a man of talent, charisma and substance. But also as a political leader of courage, vision and intelligence.
“He dared to dream. And so should we.”
As the service finished the crowd gathered outside applauded and chanted “Alex, Alex” before singing Flower Of Scotland.