Alex Salmond: RAF’s refusal to repatriate body forces John Swinney to pay for chartered flight
The RAF has refused to repatriate Alex Salmond’s body from North Macedonia, causing John Swinney to pay for a chartered flight back to Scotland.
On Saturday, the former First Minister passed away at the age of 69 after delivering a speech in North Macedonia at around 3.30pm (local time).
The UK and Scottish Governments had been in talks about the return of the former SNP leader’s body.
There had been calls for the armed forces to get involved, with David Davis, Conservative MP and close friend of Salmond, leading the charge.
However, a private jet has been decided as the best option after lengthy discussions.
It is understood that there were fears over breaking the precedent that the RAF only repatriates the bodies of royals, Sky News has reported.
The politician “fell sick and died on the spot” from a suspected massive heart attack, police have said. A fellow delegate caught him as he fell backwards off his chair at the diplomacy conference.
Efforts were made to resuscitate the 69-year-old. Paramedics concluded that by the time they arrived, there was nothing that could be done to save him.
Youth conference organiser Mark Donfried, who witnessed the incident, said that “time stopped” following Salmond’s death.
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“Really, time stopped,” he said. “All of a sudden at lunchtime he was sitting across [from me]. He collapsed, he was sitting and fell back into the arms of one of the other speakers.
“I immediately went to the front desk to ask for an ambulance, and by the time I came back he was on the floor and they were trying CPR. The good news is he didn’t suffer. I don’t think he felt any pain.”
His family has paid tribute to the late politician who “left a fundamental footprint on Scottish politics”.
In a statement, they said: “Alex was a formidable politician, an amazing orator, an outstanding intellect, and admired throughout the world. He loved meeting people and hearing their stories, and showed incredible kindness to those who needed it.
“He dedicated his adult life to the cause he believed in – independence for Scotland. His vision and enthusiasm for Scotland and the Yes movement were both inspirational and contagious.
“But to us, first and foremost, he was a devoted and loving husband, a fiercely loyal brother, a proud and thoughtful uncle and a faithful and trusted friend.”
Salmond led the Scottish National Party, steering them from opposition to forming a government at Holyrood in 2007.
This was followed by an unprecedented achievement in 2011, when the SNP secured a majority in the Scottish Parliament, the only time such an outcome has occurred in the 25 years since devolution.
This victory set the stage for the 2014 independence referendum.
After losing that referendum, Salmond stepped down as First Minister but briefly returned to Westminster as the MP for Gordon from 2015 to 2017.
In 2018, he resigned from the SNP amid sexual harassment allegations and later founded the Alba Party, which he led.
Two years later, he was acquitted of all criminal charges in court.
He is survived by his wife Moira