The late Scottish heavyweight politician Alex Salmond dealt a huge blow to Labour’s Winter Fuel Payment cuts just weeks before his sudden death at the age of 69 today.

The Alba Party leader and former first minister collapsed moments after giving a speech in north Macedonia this afternoon and his cause of death is yet to be announced.

A prominent Scottish nationalist, Mr Salmond was the leader of the Scottish National Party (SNP) on two occasions, from 1990-2000 and 2004-2014.

And he was also instrumental in helping launch a legal challenge to Labour’s Winter Fuel Payment cuts just weeks before his passing.

Pensioners are fuming over Chancellor Rachel Reeves’ decision to axe universal Winter Fuel Payments of £200 to £300 for pensioners and make them means tested instead.

And Alex Salmond was instrumental in helping angry pensioners launch a legal challenge to the decision.

Peter and Florence Fanning, of Coatbridge, North Lanarkshire, raised proceedings with the help of the Govan Law Centre against the Scottish Government and the UK Work and Pensions Secretary over the policy.

Former first minister and current Alba Party leader Alex Salmond was instrumental in putting the Fannings in touch with the Govan Law Centre ahead of the action being raised.

The case asks the court to rule on whether the decision was unlawful, which would then allow the petitioners to ask the court to, in effect, set aside the policy and restore the winter fuel payment to all.

The judicial review – which has been raised at the Court of Session – now requires a judge’s approval to move to a hearing on the merits, with the Govan Law Centre seeking to expedite both the case and its application for legal aid to ensure a decision can be handed down before the winter.

The case’s argument rests on the accusation both governments failed to adequately consult with those of pension age on the change and did not release an equality impact assessment on the changes.

Speaking at the press conference on September 26, Mr Salmond said every person in Scotland “should be grateful” to the Fannings for raising the action, which he said should have been taken forward by the Scottish Government in the first instance.

Pointing to analysis by the Labour Party in 2017 – which suggested 4,000 people could die if the winter fuel payment was cut – Mr Salmond claimed it would be “reprehensible” for the UK Government not to undertake an equality impact assessment because such a figure would be made public.

He added: “The Scottish Government, instead of meekly accepting this, should have challenged it.

“They should have stood up for pensioners and stood up for the people as opposed to meekly towing the line that was coming from Westminster.”

The former first minister added that while it would be “the most enormous humiliation” for the governments to lose the case: “I wonder is that as bad as the humiliation if the health service in Scotland and England can cope with the health impacts of what they’re doing?”