Alex Salmond quits after dream of independence gets crushed
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Version 0 of 1. GLASGOW, Scotland — The leader of Scotland’s independence movement resigned as Scottish first minister Friday after voters decisively rejected breaking away from the United Kingdom. Saying that Scotland would be better served under new leadership, an emotional Alex Salmond told a news conference in Edinburgh that he had brought the cause of independence to the “base camp,” but that it was now “time to give someone else a chance.” He said he made the decision Friday morning after it became clear that the majority of Scots voted to stay in the union. In a resounding victory for unionists, Scotland voted 55 percent to 45 percent in a referendum Thursday to remain part of the United Kingdom. The results were announced early Friday. Polls had shown the vote much closer in the last few weeks. Salmond, 59, a dominant figure in Scottish politics for decades, said he would stand down as first minister, or head of the Scottish government, after party members choose a new leader. He also said he would not seek reelection as leader of the Scottish National Party (SNP) at its annual conference in November, but he stressed that he would not be retiring entirely from political life. “For me as leader, my time is nearly over,” he said. “But for Scotland, the campaign continues, and the dream shall never die.” Salmond was among the most high-profile nationalists who appeared to be coming to terms with the hard truth that independence would not be happening in their lifetimes. “As far as I could tell, it was a totally ‘yes’ majority, but watching the polls come in was totally disappointing,” said Schaun Shirki, 27, who works in a hotel and was bleary-eyed after having stayed awake all night walking around central Glasgow. Glasgow, Scotland’s largest city and one of only four areas to vote “yes” to independence, appeared to be in shellshock on Friday morning. The city center was pulsing with rock music and blasting car horns throughout the night — until shortly before it became clear that the “no” camp would win overall. “It’s a really strange day,” said Ruari Gordon, 24, who runs a youth hostel. Gesturing out at Glasgow’s George Square, the scene of a “Yes”-shouting, horn-honking party only hours earlier, Gordon said: “The only people out now are downbeat and looking glum.” Earlier in the day, Salmond, who did not wake up Friday morning as a prime minister in waiting, conceded defeat and called on all Scots to respect the results. His resignation shocked some commentators, but the scale of the “Yes” camp defeat was such that not everyone was surprised. Although independence campaigners have sought to separate the cause of independence from Salmond, there is no arguing that he has been center stage in bringing Scotland to the brink of separation. “He has been central to the whole project of independence, strategically, presentationally and in terms of making it credible,” said David Torrance, author of several books on Scottish politics. Describing Salmond’s style, he said: “He’s not an ideologue; his guiding philosophy is: ‘whatever works.’ ” Salmond divides public opinion: His supporters call him a charming, modern-day Braveheart. His critics call him arrogant and aggressive. But everyone agrees he is very good at his job. The Scottish National Party was a marginal party for decades before becoming the dominant force in Scottish politics that it is today. And it was Salmond who became its leader in 1990 and who really boosted confidence that Scotland could afford to go it alone. A trained economist, Salmond could talk the language of business and made the idea seem less of a romantic gamble. The party flourished under his helm. But in the party’s biggest bid — independence — it ultimately fell short. Last week, Salmond announced that he would not call another referendum in a generation if his “yes” camp lost. But without him as leader, it’s unclear if the SNP, whose raison d'être is independence, will temporarily fold up the tent on its independence dreams. To come within touching distance of victory has been deeply agonizing for nationalists who devoted their lives to a cause that was crushed overnight. Liz Quinn, a 75-year-old retired head teacher from Glasgow who has been campaigning for independence almost as long as Salmond has, called him a “tremendous politician and a real statesman.” An elegant woman with an infectious smile, Quinn spent much of this past year pounding the gritty streets of Glasgow, targeting any house or apartment that had no steps (the years have not been kind to her knees). After watching the results pour in Friday morning, she said: “I am deeply disappointed, but you know, we’re still standing,” Quinn said. “We will not get another bite at that cherry, not in my lifetime.” But she also stressed that over the course of this campaign, the driving force for independence has come not from party politicians, but from young, informed Scots who now have an appetite for separation. Quinn still thinks her dream has been postponed, rather than completely lost. “Young people are educated now; all the apathy is gone,” she said. “This is not the end.” |