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MacAskill succeeds Salmond as Alba leader

Angus Cochrane
BBC Scotland News
PA Media A man with grey hair smiles while looking at the camera. He is wearing a dark suit, light shirt and dark tie. Behind him is a large blue sign with an Alba logo. PA Media
Kenny MacAskill served as acting leader following the death of Alba founder Alex Salmond

Kenny MacAskill has been announced as the new leader of the pro-independence Alba Party.

The contest was held following the sudden death of party founder and former First Minister Alex Salmond.

MacAskill, an ex-Alba MP, narrowly defeated Ash Regan, the party's sole MSP, in a two-way ballot for the role.

He won 1331 votes (52.3%) to Regan's 1212 (47.7%).

Former Alba MP Neale Hanvey was elected deputy leader with 78% of the vote, defeating ex-general secretary Chris McEleny.

Party infighting

The results followed a fractious contest, including claims of bullying and harassment, the suspension of McEleny as general secretary and the resignation of other party officials.

MacAskill, a former SNP justice secretary, defected to Alba in 2021 while serving as MP for East Lothian. He lost his seat in last year's general election.

The new party leader said: "This was an election brought about by the tragic passing of our founder Alex Salmond.

"He will never be forgotten but the duty that now falls to me and all Alba Party members is to deliver his dream of independence."

At the press conference announcing the results, McEleny criticised the new leadership and said he expected his membership would be rescinded.

PA Media A woman with red hair in a close-up shot. She is wearing a blue jacket, with the grey background out of focus behind her. PA Media
Ash Regan is Alba's sole representative in the Scottish Parliament

Regan defected from the SNP in 2023 following a failed bid to succeed Nicola Sturgeon as party leader.

A year previously she had resigned as community safety minister over the government's plans to reform gender recognition laws.

The contest was triggered after Salmond died of a heart attack while attending a conference in North Macedonia in October.

Both leadership candidates claimed the former first minister and SNP leader would have wanted them to succeed.

PA Media A man with dark hair speaks at a podium on a stage. He is wearing a dark suit with Alba Party branded signs on the podium and on a large sign behind him PA Media
Alex Salmond set up the Alba Party in the lead up to the 2021 Holyrood election

The contest has been dogged by infighting. Last month, it emerged that McEleny had been suspended as general secretary after being accused of gross misconduct.

McEleny, a former SNP councillor, launched a separate complaint against MacAskill, though the party said there had not been any disciplinary investigation.

In a statement released afterward the leadership announcement, McEleny said he was removed from his post in January.

He accused the party of releasing "leaks and smears" against him and suggested he could take legal action to "ensure fairness and integrity are upheld".

MacAskill told reporters he was "unaware of any action being initiated against us".

Alba has been asked to comment.

The party was set up by Salmond in the lead up to the 2021 Holyrood election. No Alba candidate has been elected at the ballot box.

At last year's general election, 19 Alba candidates won a combined 11,784 votes.

The party currently has two councillors. Both were originally elected as SNP candidates.