Major controversies of Alex Salmond’s long career at heart of Scottish politics

Alex Salmond was a colourful politician who never shied away from controversy over his long and storied career in Scottish politics.

From falling out with former allies at the SNP to forming his own political party, his personality loomed large over the country’s political landscape.

Here are some of the more controversial moments in the Alba leader’s career:

– Harassment complaints

In 2018, the Scottish government set up a new procedure for investigating complaints against ministers and former ministers.

Two female staff made internal complaints against Mr Salmond.

However, he immediately complained that the process was unfair and launched a judicial review in the courts.

The Court of Session ruled the Scottish Government’s investigation into the claims was “tainted with apparent bias” by the investigating officer’s prior contact with the complainants, with Mr Salmond receiving more than £500,000 in damages.

This would ultimately lead to a parliamentary inquiry, however, Mr Salmond’s troubles were not over.

– Accusation of sexual assault

Mr Salmond was charged with a litany of sexual offences against nine women in January 2019.

The trial, which took place in March the following year, lasted 11 days.

Mr Salmond denied all the charges and giving evidence claimed some were “deliberate fabrications for a political purpose”

The jury, which took less than six hours to reach its decision, returned not guilty verdicts on 12 charges and returned a not proven verdict on a charge of sexual assault with intent to rape.

During a procedural hearing of the case, reporting of which was banned until the end of the trial, Mr Salmond’s defence team claimed the Scottish Government and those working there turned to the criminal process to try to “discredit” him after he won a civil case into how the administration handled sexual harassment complaints against him.

Judge Lady Dorrian rejected an application for this evidence to be led at the trial, saying the judicial review was “wholly irrelevant”.

– End of relationship with SNP and launch of Alba party

As a result of his harassment and sexual assault cases, Mr Salmond’s relationship with his former colleagues at the SNP soured.

A Holyrood inquiry into the handling of complaints against Mr Salmond called both the former first minister and Ms Sturgeon – who was still serving in the role at that point – to testify in two marathon sessions.

Mr Salmond accused those at the highest echelons of the Scottish Government of a plot against him, something Ms Sturgeon called “absurd”.

In 2021, Mr Salmond launched the Alba Party, which has spent much of its existence criticising the SNP – headed then by Ms Sturgeon and subsequently by two of her key allies in Humza Yousaf and John Swinney.

However, the party has failed to make a sizeable impact on Scottish politics.

In the 2024 general election, it stood candidates in 19 constituencies across Scotland but won no seats, with all of its candidates losing their deposits.

– Friendship and falling out with Donald Trump

Mr Salmond developed an unlikely friendship with the former US president after he helped back the development of Mr Trump’s Menie golf course in Aberdeenshire in 2007.

However, the pair fell out in 2012 over plans to place wind turbines off the coast of the estate.

After the real estate mogul’s attempt to block the construction of the wind farm was shot down by the Supreme Court, Mr Salmond branded his former friend “three times a loser”.

Speaking about their relationship later in 2018, he said he regretted befriending Mr Trump.