Alex Salmond's family vow to 'defend his name' in court

Alex Salmond’s family is steadfast in their determination to protect his reputation through legal action against the Scottish government, as expressed by his niece, Christina Hendry. She also alleged a conspiracy against her uncle, the former first minister and SNP leader, who was acquitted of 13 sexual offenses in 2020. Following Salmond’s passing at the age of 69 last year, his widow Moira is now pursuing the case. Nicola Sturgeon, who assumed the role of first minister after Salmond, refuted any suggestions of a conspiracy in her recent memoir, which was critical of her former mentor.

Salmond, who passed away from a heart attack in October 2024 while attending a conference in North Macedonia, was in the midst of legal proceedings against the government for misfeasance—a legal term denoting the wrongful exercise of lawful authority. He had previously succeeded in legal action against the government in 2019 over the mishandling of complaints against him, with the investigation being deemed “tainted with apparent bias.” Although awarded £500,000 in costs, Salmond sought a reported £3 million in damages and loss of earnings with the new claim, which his widow Moira has taken up with the backing of affluent supporters. Post-SNP, Salmond founded the pro-independence Alba Party and at the 2020 criminal trial, he was acquitted of all charges, including attempted rape, while his lawyer acknowledged his client’s imperfections.

Christina, Salmond’s niece, has disclosed her plan to run for Alba in the North East list during next year’s Holyrood election, underscoring the family’s resolute support for the legal action. She affirmed their unity in defending Salmond’s name and commitment to pursuing every necessary avenue to uphold his legacy. In response to the ongoing litigation, a spokesperson for the Scottish government declined to comment. Sturgeon’s memoir detailed Salmond’s alleged opposition to gay marriage, purported lack of thorough reading of the government’s white paper on Scottish independence, and rumors of “consensual affairs.” With her remarks prompting anguish among Salmond’s relatives, Christina emphasized the detrimental impact of assertions being made in her late uncle’s absence.

Characterizing Sturgeon’s assertions as “cruel,” Hendry scrutinized their veracity and impact on the family, positing that Salmond would have vehemently defended himself if present. She contested Sturgeon’s interpretation of messages between the accusers and SNP staff members as a ploy by the Alba founder to insinuate a conspiracy against him. Hendry remained steadfast in her belief of a malevolent alliance working against her uncle and expressed confidence in the eventual revelation of truth. Pledging to honor Salmond’s memory, she announced her candidacy for Alba in the north east region. Despite posthumous allegations of a historical sexual assault against Salmond prompting a police inquiry, Police Scotland announced no further action would be taken

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