Alex Salmond's death caused by 'suspected heart attack' says source close to former first minister

Salmond is thought to have been at the event again today when he collapsed and died, a source close to the Alba Party leader has said.

Alex Salmond "suffered a suspected heart attack" hours after giving a speech in North Macedonia, a source close to the Alba Party leader has said. The 69-year-old was speaking at the Institute for Cultural Diplomacy Forum in Ohrid and died on Saturday.

The source told the Daily Record's Sunday Mail sister title Salmond is thought to have been at the event again today when he collapsed and died, suffering a suspected heart attack. He is survived by wife Moira.

It comes after he had been speaking on a panel on Friday morning alongside his Alba deputy leader Tasmina Ahmed-Sheikh. The pair were also pictured with other dignitaries in a post from the institute on Friday.

Alex Salmond dies age 69

• Alex Salmond dies hours after speech
• Scotland and political world reacts
• Salmond's wife at his side for 40 years
• Last picture of Salmond before death

The event was titled ‘Young Leaders for International Cooperation, Cultural Understanding & Peace’. His death was confirmed to the Record by a spokesman for Alba which Salmond set up in the wake of his exit from the SNP.

Despite fraught relations with other independence parties in the last few years, current First Minister and SNP leader John Swinney paid tribute to his former colleague on Saturday night.

He said: “I am deeply shocked and saddened at the untimely death of the former first minister Alex Salmond, and I extend my deepest condolences to Alex’s wife Moira and to his family.

“Over many years, Alex made an enormous contribution to political life – not just within Scotland, but across the UK and beyond.

“Alex worked tirelessly and fought fearlessly for the country that he loved and for her independence. He took the Scottish National Party from the fringes of Scottish politics into government and led Scotland so close to becoming an independent country.

“There will be much more opportunity to reflect in the coming days, but today all of our thoughts are with Alex’s family and his many friends right across the political spectrum.”

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