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Alex Salmond, a figure known for his striking contradictions, led a remarkable life marked by dramatic shifts in both ideology and strategy. Once a radical firebrand, Salmond steered his party, the Scottish National Party (SNP), from the peripheries of politics into the mainstream, positioning it firmly in government. His tenure as First Minister was notable for his efforts to reassure voters that devolution was a stepping stone toward independence, a goal he fervently believed in.

Salmond's political journey began in Linlithgow, where he was born on Hogmanay in 1954. He grew up in a town rich with Scottish history, nurtured by working-class parents who harbored nationalist leanings. His educational journey took him through Scotland’s egalitarian school system and eventually to the University of St Andrews. There, he quickly immersed himself in political life, joining the SNP in 1973. His contemporary at St Andrews, Brian Taylor, later described him as a “mischief maker” with a sharp political focus.

Despite his early radicalism, Salmond carved a career within the structures he aimed to dismantle. Starting in 1978, he joined the Government Economic Service as an assistant economist before moving to the Royal Bank of Scotland, where he specialized in oil and gas economics over a seven-year tenure. Politically, he was an active SNP member and part of the 79 Group, which sought to pivot the party leftwards by appealing to disillusioned Labour supporters. Although expelled from the party in 1982, his undeniable talent led to a swift reinstatement.

By the late 1980s, as Margaret Thatcher's policies gripped Scotland's industrial sector, Salmond emerged as a promising SNP leader. Elected as MP for Banff and Buchan in 1987, he quickly gained notoriety by being temporarily banned from the Commons for interrupting the chancellor’s Budget speech in protest. His ascension to SNP leader in 1990 marked a shift towards a more centrist, socially democratic, and pro-European stance.

Throughout the 1990s, Salmond became a prominent media presence, critiquing both Conservative and New Labour governments. His influence within the SNP grew as he solidified his control over the party’s senior ranks and processes. Allied with key figures like party chief executive Michael Russell and young talents such as Nicola Sturgeon, Salmond’s grip on the SNP was comprehensive.

Salmond's legacy is a tapestry of significant achievements and controversies. His formidable communication skills and political strategy transformed the SNP and Scotland's political landscape. However, his career's latter years were overshadowed by allegations of sexual misconduct, a criminal trial, and his eventual departure from the SNP. His death at age 69 closes a significant chapter in the history of the independence movement he championed.