HE has achieved many firsts in his remarkable career - and Alex Salmond pulled off one more last night, when he was named The Herald Scottish Politician of the Year, the first three-time winner in the history of the awards.
In so doing, he saw off the challenge of his deputy, Nicola Sturgeon, and Presiding Officer Tricia Marwick
The First Minister won the award in 2007 in recognition of the SNP forming a minority government that year, and again in 2011 when his party swept to overall control at Holyrood, defying the odds and the opinion polls.
This has been a year of difficult challenges, as indeed most are in the turbulent world of Scottish politics. But Mr Salmond has risen to the challenges in an accomplished manner, and won widespread respect for his adroit handling of the Grangemouth crisis.
He is now only 10 months away from the biggest challenge of his life, the independence referendum to be held on September 18, 2014. When these awards are staged next time, we will know whether or not he has achieved his goal. It has been a good year for Mr Salmond. The next one will provide the ultimate challenge.
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