Alex Salmond
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| The Right Honourable Alex Salmond MSP |
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.JPG) |
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| 4th First Minister of Scotland | |
| Incumbent | |
| Assumed office 16 May 2007 |
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| Monarch | Elizabeth II |
| Deputy | Nicola Sturgeon |
| Preceded by | Jack McConnell |
| Leader of the Scottish National Party | |
| Incumbent | |
| Assumed office 3 September 2004 |
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| Preceded by | John Swinney |
| In office 22 September 1990 – 26 September 2000 |
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| Preceded by | Gordon Wilson |
| Succeeded by | John Swinney |
| Member of the Scottish Parliament for Gordon Banff and Buchan (1999-2001) |
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| Incumbent | |
| Assumed office 3 May 2007 |
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| Preceded by | Nora Radcliffe |
| Majority | 2,062 (5.8%) |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 31 December 1954 Linlithgow, West Lothian, Scotland |
| Nationality | British |
| Political party | Scottish National Party |
| Spouse(s) | Moira Salmond |
| Residence | Bute House (official) Strichen, Buchan (private) |
| Alma mater | University of St Andrews |
| Occupation | Economist |
| Religion | Church of Scotland |
| Website | http://www.snp.org |
Alexander Elliot Anderson "Alex" Salmond (surname pronounced SAM-MOND; born 31 December 1954 in Linlithgow, Scotland) is a British politician from Scotland who is the First Minister of Scotland and leader of the Scottish National Party (SNP) which is a political party that wants to take Scotland out of the United Kingdom.
Alex Salmond studied at the University of St Andrews and became an economist at the Royal Bank of Scotland. Salmond became a Member of Parliament (MP) for the constituency of Banff and Buchan at the 1987 General Election. In 1990, Alex Salmond became the leader of the Scottish National Party. He became a Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) for Banff and Buchan at the 1999 Scottish Parliament Election and resigned as SNP leader in 2000.
Salmond became the party leader again in 2004 and stood in the 2007 Scottish Parliament election for the constituency of Gordon. At this election, the SNP received the highest number of seats and the highest share of the vote in Scotland, but did not have enough seats to form a majority government. The SNP then formed a minority government with Alex Salmond as First Minister.
Alex Salmond was against the 2003 invasion of Iraq and was one of several MPs who called for Prime Minister Tony Blair to be impeached. At the 2010 General Election, Alex Salmond stood down as a Member of Parliament but argued against the BBC's decision not to allow the SNP on the televised Prime Ministerial Debates.
