Tributes paid to ‘monumental figure’ Alex Salmond

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Friends and rivals alike were quick to pay tribute, Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer saying: “Alex Salmond was a monumental figure of Scottish and UK politics. He leaves behind a lasting legacy.”

Former prime minister Rishi Sunak called him a “huge figure” and said: “While I disagreed with him on the constitutional question, there was no denying his skill in debate or his passion for politics.”

And Scotland’s current First Minister John Swinney says he is deeply shocked and saddened at his untimely death: saying “Alex worked tirelessly and fought fearlessly for the country that he loved and for her independence.”