Kenny MacAskill announces bid to succeed Alex Salmond as leader of Alba party
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And he won the backing of Mr Salmond’s widow Moira, who said: “I know who Alex trusted and who he’d want to continue to lead the party he established.”
Mr Salmond died suddenly of a heart attack in October in North Macedonia, at the age of 69.


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Hide AdMr MacAskill, who has been acting leader of Alba since then, will now face a contest with Ash Regan, who succeeded him as SNP MSP for Edinburgh Eastern in 2016, and who is Alba’s only representative in the Scottish Parliament.
Mr MacAskill, who served as Justice Secretary under Alex Salmond from 2007 until 2014, stepped down from Holyrood in 2016, but was elected to Westminster as SNP MP for East Lothian in 2019 and defected to Alba in 2021. He and fellow defector, Kirkcaldy and Cowdenbeath MP Neale Hanvey both lost their seats in last year’s general election.
But opinion polls have suggested Alba could win seats in the Scottish Parliament at the next elections in 2026.
Mrs Salmond gave Mr MacAskill her endorsement, telling the Sunday Mail: “Kenny was not just Alex’s political ally, but his friend. Growing up and going to school together, they were together firstly building the SNP and then in forming Alba.
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Hide Ad“He has my support and endorsement and he seeks to deliver Alex’s dream of Scottish independence.”
Mr MacAskill said: “This is not a position I ever sought and it comes about through tragedy I wish had never happened. But it’s essential to maintain Alex’s legacy and deliver his dream of Scottish independence.”
And in what appeared to be a swipe at Ash Regan’s recent call for Elon Musk to build a Tesla “gigafactory” in Scotland, Mr MacAskill said: “We can’t allow drift to the right or pursue a populist agenda push by wealthy oligarchs.
“Campaigns in support of Grangemouth refinery and against the absurdity of an energy rich land having half its people in fuel poverty were led by me. I intend to continue that radical direction in defence of Scotland’s industrial base and ensure it benefits from the natural bounty it has with renewable energy.
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Hide Ad“We cannot allow this second golden opportunity to pass us by, as we’ve seen with oil and gas.
“The race is now on for Holyrood 2026 and, with a referendum refused by Westminster, that election must be used to drive our cause forward.”
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