The former leader admits stepping down after 2014’s referendum may have been premature

Former first minister Alex Salmond has revealed he would have remained in his role following the 2014 independence referendum had he anticipated that Scotland would still be without independence a decade later. Salmond resigned the day after the referendum defeat, where the Yes campaign was defeated by 55% to 45%. However, he now views his departure as a “mistake.”

Reflecting on his decision, Salmond, in a new ITV Border documentary marking the referendum’s 10th anniversary titled A Decade of Debate, explained: “If you’d told me then that ten years later, we’d still be waiting despite the manifest opportunities there have been, then I would have said, ‘well, I’ll just hang about then and see the matter through.’” He elaborated that at the time, he believed a timely departure would benefit the national movement.

Current political leader Nicola Sturgeon, who succeeded Salmond, questioned whether his continued presence would have changed the course of events. In the documentary, she suggested, “So clearly he’s going to think that he could have done things so much better.” She also reflected on her own hesitation about stepping into Salmond’s role, expressing doubts about her capabilities before eventually taking up the position.

The documentary airs on ITV Border Scotland on Thursday at 8.30pm, revisiting the referendum and the years since in a reflective examination of Scotland’s political landscape.