Alex Salmond: Body could be brought back to Scotland by RAF

Tory MP David Davis, a friend of Mr Salmond’s, said he had contacted Foreign Secretary David Lammy and urged him to call in the RAF to bring the Alba Party leader home.

Mr Salmond, 69, who was SNP First Minister between 2007 and 2014 and later led the Alba party, died from a suspected heart attack. He had made a speech at the Institute for Cultural Diplomacy Forum before collapsing at lunch in a crowded room.

Alex Salmond attending the Cultural Diplomacy Forum 2024 in North Macedonia | PA

Mark Donfried, one of the conference organisers, described how attempts were made to resuscitate Mr Salmond.

He said.: "All of a sudden at lunchtime he was sitting across from me. He collapsed, he was sitting and fell back into the arms of one of the other speakers.

"I immediately went to the front desk to ask for an ambulance and by the time I came back he was on the floor and they were trying CPR. The good news is he didn't suffer. I don't think he felt any pain."

The news of Mr Salmond’s death came as a huge shock to family and friends and prompted many tributes from across the political spectrum.

Meanwhile, friends of the former First Minister are reportedly planning to continue legal action he had launched against the Scottish Government in the aftermath of his acquittal in 2020 at the High Court in Edinburgh on charges of sexual assault. He was seeking “significant damages” which could total millions of pounds over alleged “malfeasance” by civil servants who were said to have “conducted themselves improperly, in bad faith and beyond their powers, with the intention of injuring Mr Salmond”.

Mr Salmond had made a speech at the conference before he collapsed during lunch. | PA

In a statement issued on Sunday night, Mr Salmond’s family paid tribute to a "formidable politician" and "a devoted and loving husband".

They said: "Alex was a formidable politician, an amazing orator, an outstanding intellect and admired throughout the world. He loved meeting people and hearing their stories and showed incredible kindness to those who needed it.

"He dedicated his adult life to the cause he believed in - independence for Scotland ."

They added: "In our darkest of family moments, he was always the one who got us through, making this time even more difficult, as he is not here for us to turn to. His resilience and optimism knew no bounds.

"He led us to believe in better. Without Alex, life will never be the same again. But he would want us to continue with his life's work for independence, and for justice, and that is what we shall do."

A Foreign Office spokesperson said: "We are supporting the family of Alex Salmond , former first minister of Scotland , who died in North Macedonia on Saturday. The FCDO is in touch with the local authorities."