Alex Salmond

The announcement from Alex Salmond that he intends to stand down as the leader of the SNP at the Party’s November Conference, and then as First Minister, has been met with considerable surprise.

In his statement, he stated how he was “immensely proud of the campaign which Yes Scotland fought and of the 1.6 million voters who rallied to his cause by backing an independent Scotland, adding that he was also “proud of the 85 per cent turnout in the referendum and the remarkable response of all of the people of Scotland who participated in this great constitutional debate and the manner in which they conducted themselves.”

He focused on the necessity to “hold Westminster’s feet to the fire on the ‘vow’ that they have made to devolve further meaningful power to Scotland. This places Scotland in a very strong position … the real guardians of progress are not the politicians at Westminster, or even at Holyrood, but the energised activism of tens of thousands of people who I predict will refuse meekly to go back into the political shadows.”

Alex Salmond is an inspiration. He led the Scottish National Party with distinction, turning it into a party of government, becoming Scotland’s longest-serving First Minister, and changing the very political landscape of modern Scotland, securing more and more powers for his homeland.

He should be extremely proud of what he has achieved and how he has changed Scotland for the better.