logo
welcome
BBC

BBC

Alex Salmond obituary: A man and a politician of contradictions

BBC
Summary
Nutrition label

67% Informative

Alex Salmond was a man and a politician of extreme contradictions.

He was a gambler and divider of opinions who became a rock-steady first minister.

His death at the age of 69 brings to an end a remarkable life and political career.

His reputation as a political heavyweight ensured he was a high-profile politician across the UK long before he won Holyrood 's top job.

SNP came second at the inaugural Holyrood election in 1999 and Salmond appeared to enjoy the role of chief opposition leader.

In 2000 , Salmond made the surprise decision to quit and stand down as both leader and MSP .

He returned to Westminster , a move which underlined a common criticism that he was more at home in London .

He formed a minority government and relied on Green and Conservative support.

Salmond resigned from the SNP after 45 years as first minister in Scotland .

Almost 60 , it was time to hand over the fight to a younger generation.

VR Score

77

Informative language

79

Neutral language

53

Article tone

informal

Language

English

Language complexity

52

Offensive language

not offensive

Hate speech

not hateful

Attention-grabbing headline

not detected

Known propaganda techniques

not detected

Time-value

short-lived

External references

no external sources

Source diversity

no sources

Affiliate links

no affiliate links