THE UK Government has been pressed on "delays" over practicalities repatriating Alex Salmond's body following his sudden death abroad, with calls for the RAF to fly him home to Scotland.
Salmond, who led the SNP before later founding the Alba party, died on Saturday afternoon from a suspected heart attack during a trip to North Macedonia.
The former first minister had made a speech at the Institute for Cultural Diplomacy Forum before collapsing at lunch in a crowded room.
Salmond's friend and colleague Chris McEleny, the general secretary of Alba, has travelled to North Macedonia to assist in bring Salmond's body back, suspending his campaign in the Gourock by-election to help.
Officials in North Macedonia are currently investigating the cause of death.
McEleny told The National that the UK Government not giving the green light for the RAF to assist in the repatriation "is no way to treat a former first minister”.
He also shared that Deputy First Minister Kate Forbes was meeting with representatives from the UK Government on Monday morning to press the case.
When approached for comment, the Scottish Government said it had been "in regular dialogue" with the Foreign Office since Salmond's death was announced to ensure "consular support is in place for the family and around the repatriation of the former first minister."
McEleny said there had been a series of engagements since the announcement of Salmond's death on Saturday with the Foreign Secretary, Secretary of State for Scotland and the Chancellor on the issue.
He said: "All of them seem to be open and accepting that this is an appropriate means of repatriating him, so I'm not quite sure what the delay is because when you are the UK Government it is as simple as saying get it done. So just say get it done."
McEleny added: “He’s a former first minister of Scotland and someone that means a lot to people in Scotland.
“I don't see how it can be logical that you can have the King of the country praising Alex Salmond's fair years of public service, along with the Prime Minister and everyone, but he's to somehow wait a matter of weeks in a foreign land to then try and find his way back via commercial airlines.
“I don't think that's fitting and it's not appropriate".
McEleny (above) said he had seen posts online from “people that would class themselves as Unionists” also calling out the UK Government for the delay being “inappropriate”.
He added that he had been “trying not to be political over the last couple of days”, but referenced the private security provided for Taylor Swift’s London concerts by the Government in August.
"I just can't understand how we could have a situation that the UK Government are willing to pay for private security for a Taylor Swift concert," McEleny said.
“They want they want to see that there's a respect agenda in in terms of how they treat Scotland, but they won't assist you part in Scotland's former first minister.
“I hope that this is just Whitehall civil service bureaucracy that's delaying things, and it's not a political decision.
“But if it is, then I would ask them, I would plead with them to just help us get a home to his family where he belongs.”
It comes as David Davis, a Conservative MP and close friend of Salmond, pushed the Foreign Office to use RAF planes to repatriate Salmond’s body with “both dignity and expedition”.
“They’ve been listening,” he said of the UK Government.
“But I know there are practicalities, there aren’t just aircraft sitting on a runway ready to take off.
“But they’re working on making it happen one way or another, whether it’s an RAF flight or a civil flight.”
A spokesperson for the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office said: “We are providing consular support to the family of Alex Salmond following his death in North Macedonia, and are in contact with the local authorities and Scottish Government.”
How much would it cost to repatriate Alex Salmond?
The cost of doing so would be around £600,000.
Three sources told The Times that the Scottish government is looking at paying for a private plane to repatriate the former first minister, rather than the RAF.
There are also concerns at breaking precedent to use the air force to repatriate someone other than a member of the royal family.
Boris Josifovski, an aide to North Macedonia’s former president Gjorge Ivanov, who organised the event where Salmond died, has said procedures for the body’s repatriation “are almost done”.
He said: “All legal procedures and paperwork are nearly finished. There will be a special flight in the next few days, probably from Ohrid.”
