By Judith Ugwumadu | 19 September 2014
Alex Salmond has announced that he will be standing down as First Minister of Scotland and leader of the Scottish National Party after voters in Scotland rejected independence.
The first minister today said he would resign at the SNP’s annual conference in November.
Speaking from Bute House, Salmond said he was ‘immensely’ proud of the campaign that ‘Yes’ Scotland fought and of the ‘1.6 million voters who rallied to that cause by backing an independent Scotland’.
He added that it was time to hold Westminster’s feet to the fire on the ‘vow’ that they had made to devolve further meaningful powers to Scotland.
But he said: ‘For me right now, there is a decision as to who is best placed to lead this process forward politically. I believe that in this new exciting situation, redolent with possibility, party, parliament and country would benefit from new leadership.’
Current deputy first minister and deputy SNP leader Nicola Sturgeon is widely regarded as a suitable replacement.
In a Tweet, Prime Minister David Cameron said: ‘Alex Salmond is a politician of huge talent and passion. He has been an effective first minister, and always fights his corner.’
