Alex Salmond’s body to be repatriated on private flight to Scotland
Calls by Tory MP for RAF to be used come to nothing as government helps ‘expedite’ procedure
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Alex Salmond’s body will be repatriated on a private flight after an individual paid for it to be brought back to Scotland.
The former Scottish first minister died after suffering a heart attack in North Macedonia on Saturday, where he was attending a conference.
Sir David Davis, a Tory MP and friend of Mr Salmond, had pushed for the RAF to be used to bring his body back from the city of Ohrid.
Traditionally, the RAF repatriates only the bodies of members of the royal family, and discussions between the Scottish and UK governments over what to do had taken place.
Now, a private flight will be chartered and paid for by one person – not publicly identified – to return Mr Salmond’s body to Scotland, according to the PA news agency.
The cost of repatriating a body is between £2,500 and £20,000, according to Homeland International, a body-repatriation service.
Kenny MacAskill, acting leader of the Alba Party, which Mr Salmond led from 2021 until his death, said: “The family are incredibly grateful for the support which is being provided by a private citizen to charter a private plane to allow Alex’s body to come home to Scotland.
“It brings a great deal of comfort to Moira [his wife] and other members of the family to know that he will soon be home with them.
“The family have asked that their privacy be respected at this time and will be making an announcement in due course about the funeral arrangements and a memorial service to honour the life of Alex Salmond.”
Mr MacAskill also expressed the Salmond family’s appreciation to the North Macedonian government for “expediting” the process of releasing Mr Salmond’s body and the Scottish and UK governments for securing his repatriation.
Tributes were paid to the former SNP leader in the House of Commons on Wednesday. Prime minister Sir Keir Starmer described him as a monumental figure in Scottish and UK politics who left a lasting legacy.
Both Tory leader Rishi Sunak and Lib Dem leader Sir Ed Davey also paid tribute.
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