Alex Salmond: A champion for Scotland – and the world

Jimmy Reid, a passionate advocate of important local and global causes, changed many lives for the better

The Jimmy Reid I knew and admired was many things. A great Scot, a wonderfully eloquent orator, a gifted writer, a passionate advocate for humanity and egalitarianism, and much more. Above all, he was a warm, humorous, and generous human being.

He loved Scotland and her people, and it was this commitment to protect the jobs and communities of the upper Clyde that propelled him to global prominence almost 40 years ago, with his inspirational – and successful – leadership of the Upper Clyde Shipbuilder [UCS] work-in.

A towering and commanding figure, Jimmy demonstrated that you don't have to be an elected politician to have a huge influence in Scottish political life. The upper Clyde shipyards were facing closure with the loss of 8,000 jobs when Jimmy and his fellow shop stewards led the work-in. It was the first time this imaginative industrial tactic of workers refusing to withdraw their labour – or having their labour withdrawn – had been used, and it attracted worldwide attention. Jimmy Reid and the other union leaders saved shipbuilding on the Clyde. They protected an industry and forced the Westminster government to change its entire industrial policy: Ted Heath's Tory administration reversed its position and invested in the shipyards.

Jimmy was incredibly well read and self-educated, and could more than hold his own with any domestic or international audience on an extraordinary range of issues. His message that people coming together in a common cause can make change happen appealed far beyond Scotland to a wider, global audience. His eloquence and depth were magnificently demonstrated with his unforgettable address as Rector of Glasgow University in 1972. How many Scots politicians – indeed, how many American politicians – have had a speech printed verbatim in The New York Times?

By the time he delivered his rectorial address he already had a high profile, but this speech more than any confirmed Jimmy's status as perhaps the greatest Scottish orator of his generation. Throughout it, on the theme and dangers of alienation, he espoused true values of social justice with a desire for everyone in Scotland to share the country's economic and cultural riches. His words had a profound impact, not only on the students and lecturers who were there, but on so many more who read it then – and are now reading it anew.

Jimmy's political journey to embrace the cause of Scottish independence was hugely influential in promoting change in Scotland. He believed that nothing was impossible, and it was this spirit and sense of optimism that I loved most. His transition in politics from the Communist Party to the Labour Party to the Scottish National Party retained an essential core of consistency, and reflected the potential for unity between the labour and national movements in Scottish political life. Just as Jimmy believed in the rights and dignity of individual human beings, he believed in Scotland's rights and dignity as a nation. That, I believe, is a legacy of fundamental importance, which ensures the continuing relevance of Jimmy's thinking and philosophy as Scotland moves forward.

Not everyone in Scottish public life may speak with hiss gift, and I think we all know that there will never be another Jimmy Reid. But thanks to him, far more people believe that progress for Scotland is inextricably bound up with progress for the people, and that our nation's voice must be heard speaking up for the great global causes, such as the war on poverty and nuclear disarmament.

Without question, the wit, determination, and intelligence Jimmy possessed meant that he would have a been an influential figure regardless of where or when he was born, or how he chose to live his life. It is to the benefit of us all that Jimmy's cause was the common weal of Scotland. I remember listening to speeches he made at party conferences when he was in his seventies, and was always struck by how his words resonated just as profoundly with the teenagers present as with those who were around during the days of the UCS work-in.

That is because Jimmy Reid's activism and contribution extended throughout his whole life, and he was always at the centre of the great causes of the day – both domestic and worldwide.

He also enjoyed an influential career in television, before moving on to become a thoughtful and insightful newspaper columnist and commentator. His views were often controversial, always incredibly well-argued – and never, ever boring.

The campaigns for the shipyard workers showed that with enough endeavour and collective assertion Scotland was able to achieve a victory. Jimmy showed that you can change the attitude of an entire country – and he undoubtedly changed Scotland for the better.

Jimmy Reid was Scotland's great rallying figure over the past four decades, and was one of the few Scottish political figures who can genuinely say that they provoked real change for the better in society – always addressing both a Scottish and international audience.

He will be sorely missed across the political spectrum, and by people right throughout Scottish society. I will lament his wise counsel and humour, while Scotland has lost an authoritative figure of great humanity.

Alex Salmond is leader of the SNP and First Minister of Scotland