Alex Salmond’s niece Christina Hendry is campaigning to become the Alba Party’s candidate in Banff and Buchan Coast at the 2026 Scottish Parliament election in honour of her uncle who represented the region for three decades.
The Peterhead-born activist wants to be selected in the north-east constituency where Mr Salmond planned to stand at the next Scottish Parliament election.
It was after his death in North Macedonia on October 12 that Ms Hendry started to think about putting her name forward in the region he loved.
She delivered a tribute at his official memorial service at St Giles Cathedral in Edinburgh last month in which she recalled memories of her “Uncle Alex”.
Speaking to the P&J, she described being “really moved” by crowds lining the streets on Mr Salmond’s final journey from Aberdeen Airport to Fraserburgh.
The 29-year-old said: “You could see how loved he was. He loved Aberdeenshire and that part of the world.
“I wanted to honour his name and his legacy. I’m a candidate who has independence and Salmond blood running through my veins.”
A poll by Norstat last week suggests the Alba party might manage to win one seat on the wider North East region at Holyrood, which could propel her into parliament in two years.
‘I think he would be very proud’
Ms Hendry, who is the younger daughter of Mr Salmond’s sister Gail Hendry, was born in the Blue Toon, and said her “first ever sight was Peterhead bay”.
She spent her early years in the north-east, before moving to the Borders with her family, but said the region is one that “feels very close to my heart”.
The 29-year-old was involved in the 2014 independence referendum and the Scottish Youth Parliament as a teenager, and grew up in a political household, discussing politics with her parents and grandparents, along with her uncle.
Although Mr Salmond was born in Linlithgow, he represented north-east constituencies for three decades as an MP and MSP and lived in the Buchan village of Strichen with his wife Moira.
Asked how he would react to her decision to put herself forward, Ms Hendry said: “I think he would be very proud.
“It’s something I want to do for the people in the area and for him.
“He always told me how proud he was of everything I did.”
What about Alba’s electoral hopes?
Ms Hendry, who is a qualified child psychologist, said she has “always looked for a reason to get back to the north-east”.
It will be for local party members to decide if she is their chosen candidate.
But the party’s electoral hopes have so far always ended in disappointment, gaining just over 2.3% of the vote in the North East region in 2021.
At the last Scottish election, Alba did not field candidates in any constituencies and instead focused on the regional list.
The Banff and Buchan Coast seat is currently held by SNP MSP Karen Adam, who defeated her Tory opponent by less than 1,000 votes at the last election in 2021.
Mr Salmond previously announced he would stand for the seat at the Scottish Parliament elections in 2026 after being buoyed by polling samples which suggested his name recognition and legacy in the region still counted.
Ms Hendry said it’s clear Aberdeenshire has been “neglected by both governments” when it comes to the oil and gas industry, fishing and farming.
“I want to put the interests of the north-east first”, she said.
Conversation