ITV Border's Political Editor looks back at Alex Salmond's career in Scottish politics

Alex Salmond was the preeminent politician of Scotland's devolution era.

No other political leader, not even 'the father of devolution', Labour's Donald Dewar who brought the Scottish parliament into existence, changed Scotland in the way Salmond did.

The former First Minister took the Scottish National Party from the fringe of Caledonian politics - sometimes ridiculed, often ignored, always fighting to be taken seriously - to power at Holyrood.

And more than that: he took Scotland to the brink of achieving his life-long ambition of breaking from the United Kingdom and becoming an independent nation.

He came far too close for comfort for unionists, who had thought independence unthinkable; and so near and yet so far for nationalists who had thought it inevitable.

In simple, factual terms in the independence referendum of 18 September 2014 he lost, the independence movement lost, by some 45% to 55%, on a huge turnout of Scots.

But in defeat there was also a victory. Far from ending the debate on self-government, it continued, with several huge election wins for the SNP, often viewed as buyers remorse on the part of Scottish voters.

The recent election of a UK Labour government, with a substantial revival for the party in Scotland has, for now at least, put paid to any immediate hope of a second referendum and independence.

Though beware: modern politics can change, and change very quickly. Much depends on Keir Starmer's government, which has not been without its troubles in its first 100 days in office.

Nevertheless, Salmond shifted the dial on the constitutional question. He won power for the SNP as a minority government at Holyrood, then won a majority which gave him the mandate for the referendum.

He governed Scotland well, while leading the minority administration. There were some eye-catching policies, mixed with political pragmatism. The voters noticed and gave him that all-important majority.

When he looked back on the referendum, Salmond concluded that going from significantly behind in the polls to winning was "a bridge too far", but he certainly gave unionist opinion a very serious shock.

But subsequent to the SNP's defeat, Westminster legislated to make the Scottish parliament more powerful than it had been. Salmond left office with Holyrood more powerful than when he acceded to it.

He resigned the day after the referendum, leaving his political ally Nicola Sturgeon, who he had mentored, to take over as party leader and First Minister

.What has happened since the referendum has tarnished Salmond's reputation. He could not resist the call of politics and went back to Westminster as an MP.

He tried hard to play the elder statesman, but found that role hard, to Sturgeon's increasing frustration. He lost his seat, Gordon in the north-east of Scotland, in 2017.

His parting shot, echoing a Jacobite song, was "You've not seen the last of my bonnets and me." And indeed we had not, though not in the way Salmond had planned.

After a court case which took place in the shadow of the growing Covid pandemic, in March 2020 Salmond was cleared by a jury at the High Court in Edinburgh of attempted rape and a series of sexual assaults, including one with intent to rape.He denied all 13 charges against nine women and the jury returned a not proven verdict on one charge of assault with intent to rape, finding him not guilty of all other charges, including an attempted rape.The details of that, and a subsequent lawsuit against the Scottish government which he won, have been well documented but they led to an irrevocable falling out between Salmond and Sturgeon.

The great alliance, sorcerer and apprentice, was shattered, and shattered for good, as both admitted. The independence movement shattered too as Salmond formed his own Alba party.

Looking back on the referendum, Salmond told my ITV Border colleague Matty Sutton he wished he had not stood down as First Minister, bringing a scathing response from his successor.

So what of Salmond the man? During that trial, Salmond's QC Gordon Jackson told the jury his client could have been a “better man” but was not guilty of sexual offences.

Salmond subsequently himself said he was "no saint." As a party leader and First Minister he could be both demanding and overbearing.

Those who he appointed, ministers and advisers, say he gave them room to get on with their job, only becoming critical and demanding when things went wrong. Others who incurred his wrath take a very different view.

He would not, though, be the first senior politician whose behaviour would seem, to many, unacceptable.

Those who served him - and one of his strengths was to employ highly skilled and able people - argue how effective he was. They loved him. Yes, loved him. Many of his staff were in tears when he resigned.

It is often said that journalists write the first draft of history. If that is so, it is only a very rough draft. Proper analysis of the impact and legacy of Alex Salmond must be left to academia.

However, from the viewpoint of this journalist, who has followed the ebb and flow of Scottish politics since before devolution, the late First Minister was a pivotal figure.

Alex Salmond changed the course of Scottish political history. Whether that is for good or ill is quite another matter.

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