In his concession speech, Salmond declared that Scotland had “decided not, at this stage, to become an independent country,” a statement that raised the possibility of another referendum on the matter at some point in the future. He waged a highly effective campaign in the 2007 Scottish elections, and the SNP gained 20 seats for a total of 47 in the 129-seat Scottish Parliament, one more than Labour. In a poll by The Sunday Times and YouGov held shortly after that debate, 51 percent of those expressing an opinion favoured independence. Despite lacking an outright majority, Salmond secured his election as first minister on May 16, 2007. As the head of a minority administration, however, Salmond had been unable to secure the approval of Scotland’s Parliament for a referendum on independence. Salmond studied economics at the University of St. Andrews and joined the civil service as an assistant economist (1978–80) for the Department of Agriculture and Fisheries for Scotland before working as an economist (1980–87) for the Royal Bank of Scotland. Capricorn Politician #37. Alex Salmond married Moira McGlashan in 1981.. Moira, 82, is from Peebles in the Scottish Borders and is 17 years older than him. 65 Year Old Politician #9. Alex Salmond was born on 31st December 1954 in Linlithgow, Scotland. As leader of the SNP, Salmond emphasized such issues as sustainable economic growth, fairer taxes, education, and environmental awareness. The Daily Telegraph reports that … Be on the lookout for your Britannica newsletter to get trusted stories delivered right to your inbox. © FamousBirthdays.com - use subject to the information collection practices disclosed in our Privacy Policy. In November 2012, he became the longest serving First Minister of Scotland. Mrs Salmond keeps a … In August 2014 he emerged as the clear winner of the second of two televised debates with Labour politician Alistair Darling, the leader of “Better Together,” a multiparty campaign that was committed to preserving Scotland’s place in the United Kingdom. Quick Info: Birthday: December 31, 1954 (age 63 years) Nationality: British; Ethnicity: English On September 18, 2014, Scots went to the polls in unprecedented numbers, with turnout approaching 85 percent, and a convincing 55 percent voted to reject independence. Beginning in 2001, Salmond led the SNP delegation in the House of Commons. Linlithgow, Scotland. Scotland appeared to be polarized between supporters of the SNP, about 4 in 10 Scottish adults, who overwhelmingly backed independence, and the majority of Scots, who both supported the Britain-wide political parties and opposed independence. The SNP’s loss of 21 seats in that election was widely interpreted as a rebuke of Sturgeon’s call for a new referendum on independence in the wake of Britain’s imminent withdrawal from the European Union (“Brexit”). He refuted the charges but entered no plea during his arraignment hearing and was released on bail. By signing up for this email, you are agreeing to news, offers, and information from Encyclopaedia Britannica. From an early age he gained a reputation as something of a rebel. Birthday. Peter Kellner is the former president of YouGov PLC and the author of. Popularity. Alex Salmond Wife: Moira Salmond Age, Pictures, and Facts. In early January 2019, Scotland’s highest civil court, the Court of Session, ruled that the government’s inquiry into the complaints against Salmond had been unlawful and “tainted with apparent bais.” Some two weeks after that ruling, however, Salmond was charged criminally with two counts of attempted rape, nine counts of sexual assault, two counts of indecent assault, and one count of breaching the peace. He studied Economics and Medieval History at the University of St. Andrews and became Assistant Economist in the Department of Agriculture and Fisheries for Scotland in 1978. In the run-up to the referendum, Salmond rallied the pro-independence cause, steadily eroding the significant lead held by the opposition. In November 2017 Salmond began a controversial tenure as the host of The Alex Salmond Show on RT (formerly Russia Today) television, the Russian-operated cable news channel that some observers in the West characterized as not only a propaganda outlet for Kremlin policy but also a tool for Russian intelligence operations. His mother passed away in 2003 and his father passed away in 2017. Linlithgow, United Kingdom: Zodiac sign: Capricorn: Nationality: British: Hair color: Brown: Eyes color: Brown However, Salmond had to relinquish his demand for a second question that would have given the Scots the option of backing more powers for the Scottish Parliament if a majority of Scots rejected full independence. In the 2011 Scottish elections, the SNP secured the first outright majority in the history of the Scottish Parliament, and Salmond won a second term as first minister. Alexander Elliot Anderson Salmond: Born: 31 December 1954 : How old is Alex Salmond in 2020? … He joined the pro-Scottish independence Scottish National Party (SNP) as a student and was a prominent member of the 79 Group, a socialist republican faction that called for the SNP to become more aggressively radical following the 1979 British general elections. This marked the first time since polling on the matter began that the pro-independence camp had registered a lead, and Cameron responded by promising greater autonomy for Scotland. / Age: 65 years: Where was Alex Salmond born? Scottish politician who was the leader of the Scottish National Party, and elected First Minister of Scotland in 2007. He was one of 56 SNP candidates sent to Westminster in that historic election, in which Labour lost its longtime dominance of Scottish representation in the British Parliament. In 2012 Salmond signed an agreement with British Prime Minister David Cameron to hold the referendum in 2014. Alex Salmond’s wife, Moira Salmond, would be … He quickly implemented a number of popular measures, such as freezing council tax rates. Alex Salmond is a well-celebrated representative who served his two terms, beginning from 1999 to 2000 and again from 2007 to 2014.