>The UK and Scottish governments had been in talks about the return of Mr Salmond’s body.
>David Davis, Conservative MP and close friend of Mr Salmond, had led calls for the armed forces to get involved.
>A source close to the process told Sky News the Scottish government had opted to charter a private aircraft, **which is being paid for by a private citizen.**
…
>There had been lengthy discussions between Scotland’s Deputy First Minister Kate Forbes and the UK government’s Europe minister.
>There had been concerns about breaking the precedent of the RAF only repatriating the bodies of members of the Royal Family.
From the wording of the article, it seems the request to use the RAF was denied more so due to breaking royal precedent and protocal, rather than cost or preference.
Edit – the headline and content of the article has updated to include information that a private citizen is paying for the charter.
It’s almost like Scotland should be an independent country
I guess there’s a limited amount of precedent for former senior politicians dying abroad and needing to have their bodies repatriated?
Didn’t he have travel insurance?
Many commercial flights are carrying coffin/s in the hold as part of the normal freight.
Surely he has travel insurance? This is one of the basic thing that all travel insurance covers.
People during abroad is pretty common – commercial jets frequently have coffins in the hold.
I don’t particularly see why the Scottish Government *or* the UK Government should be covering it – it would be different if he was still First Minister.
The taxpayer wouldn’t pay for me or you, why him?
The irony of a government that bleats on about how toxic the union is, seeking to incorrectly use a resource of the union.
A Westminster snub to the most influential politician ever to grace Holyrood.
He’d be pleased to know his death led to this much contestion.
I’m sorry but why are we paying for this? He was an ordinary citizen like you or me when he passed, he wasn’t abroad on government business. It’s up to his family to sort it out.
Why though? Salmond was a wealthy pensioner. Surely he had travel insurance?
He isn’t a scottish minister or MSP. He is not an employee of scot gov.
If Bill from Braehead dies in Tenerife will scot gov pay for his remains to be returned?
Edit- this was written before the article changed.
Sky news have now altered the headline to “private individual” instead of government. Pitchforks away now.
Haha downvoted. Some cunt can’t handle the truth.
I’d hate to die in a foreign country.
Hope his family can repatriate his remains home.
But isn’t he wealthy anyway 🤔
Funny, the old bitter together brigade are always beating about building bridges and bringing the country together again.
Here was an opportunity for the British State to show some respect for the former FM of Scotland build some bridges get folks feeling good about the UK and they don’t.
It’s not like they benefit from Scottish oil, gas, wind power, whisky, seafood, fishing, financial services, agriculture and engineering to help out their catastrophic balance of payments.
RIP Big Eck.
When England’s queen died, did Scotland not contribute towards repatriating her corpse?
Alex salmond was a wealthy man who should have had health insurance, the raf is not a taxi service.
Correct decision.
He’s not a King, or even still first minister…. He was a public servant like any other…. Don’t see all the fuss.
I bet the comments in here are great.
Would be some irony that they relatives are expecting the British State to provide this service, though obviously it isn’t happening.
There are direct commercial flights between Macedonia and the UK, but not Scotland, so his remains will have to touch English soil, if you can cope with that indignity.
The moment a PM is ousted they don’t even receive police escort on their way out No.10.
To argue Salmond’s repatriation, should receive special treatment as an ex FM is absurd.
Good on the private citizen who ever it was that has paid to bring him home.
26 comments
>The UK and Scottish governments had been in talks about the return of Mr Salmond’s body.
>David Davis, Conservative MP and close friend of Mr Salmond, had led calls for the armed forces to get involved.
>A source close to the process told Sky News the Scottish government had opted to charter a private aircraft, **which is being paid for by a private citizen.**
…
>There had been lengthy discussions between Scotland’s Deputy First Minister Kate Forbes and the UK government’s Europe minister.
>There had been concerns about breaking the precedent of the RAF only repatriating the bodies of members of the Royal Family.
From the wording of the article, it seems the request to use the RAF was denied more so due to breaking royal precedent and protocal, rather than cost or preference.
Edit – the headline and content of the article has updated to include information that a private citizen is paying for the charter.
It’s almost like Scotland should be an independent country
I guess there’s a limited amount of precedent for former senior politicians dying abroad and needing to have their bodies repatriated?
Didn’t he have travel insurance?
Many commercial flights are carrying coffin/s in the hold as part of the normal freight.
Surely he has travel insurance? This is one of the basic thing that all travel insurance covers.
People during abroad is pretty common – commercial jets frequently have coffins in the hold.
I don’t particularly see why the Scottish Government *or* the UK Government should be covering it – it would be different if he was still First Minister.
The taxpayer wouldn’t pay for me or you, why him?
The irony of a government that bleats on about how toxic the union is, seeking to incorrectly use a resource of the union.
A Westminster snub to the most influential politician ever to grace Holyrood.
He’d be pleased to know his death led to this much contestion.
I’m sorry but why are we paying for this? He was an ordinary citizen like you or me when he passed, he wasn’t abroad on government business. It’s up to his family to sort it out.
Why though? Salmond was a wealthy pensioner. Surely he had travel insurance?
He isn’t a scottish minister or MSP. He is not an employee of scot gov.
If Bill from Braehead dies in Tenerife will scot gov pay for his remains to be returned?
Edit- this was written before the article changed.
Sky news have now altered the headline to “private individual” instead of government. Pitchforks away now.
Haha downvoted. Some cunt can’t handle the truth.
I’d hate to die in a foreign country.
Hope his family can repatriate his remains home.
But isn’t he wealthy anyway 🤔
Funny, the old bitter together brigade are always beating about building bridges and bringing the country together again.
Here was an opportunity for the British State to show some respect for the former FM of Scotland build some bridges get folks feeling good about the UK and they don’t.
It’s not like they benefit from Scottish oil, gas, wind power, whisky, seafood, fishing, financial services, agriculture and engineering to help out their catastrophic balance of payments.
RIP Big Eck.
When England’s queen died, did Scotland not contribute towards repatriating her corpse?
Alex salmond was a wealthy man who should have had health insurance, the raf is not a taxi service.
Correct decision.
He’s not a King, or even still first minister…. He was a public servant like any other…. Don’t see all the fuss.
I bet the comments in here are great.
Would be some irony that they relatives are expecting the British State to provide this service, though obviously it isn’t happening.
There are direct commercial flights between Macedonia and the UK, but not Scotland, so his remains will have to touch English soil, if you can cope with that indignity.
The moment a PM is ousted they don’t even receive police escort on their way out No.10.
To argue Salmond’s repatriation, should receive special treatment as an ex FM is absurd.
Good on the private citizen who ever it was that has paid to bring him home.
Weird because this post https://www.reddit.com/r/Scotland/s/uDQwmI044X says differently
It was a private individual that has paid the repatriation cost.
Well if ye had independence then ye would have a ‘Scottish Air Force’ and could do what ye liked with it.
RIP Alex Salmond
Why can’t his family pay for it, just like any other private citizen?
He should be flown in with the blue arrows and have a state funeral, with whatever budget the queen and thatcher got combined.
[https://uk.news.yahoo.com/alex-salmond-reckoning-coming-far-165441114.html?guccounter=1](https://uk.news.yahoo.com/alex-salmond-reckoning-coming-far-165441114.html?guccounter=1)