John Swinney: podcast appearances and interviews

John Ramsay Swinney, born on 13 April 1964 in Edinburgh, is a Scottish politician affiliated with the Scottish National Party. He graduated with a Master of Arts degree in politics from the University of Edinburgh. Swinney joined the SNP at age 15 and quickly became active within the party, serving as National Secretary from 1986 to 1992 and as Deputy Leader from 1998 to 2000. He was the Member of Parliament for North Tayside from 1997 to 2001 and was elected to the inaugural Scottish Parliament in 1999 for North Tayside. After the party's leader Alex Salmond resigned in 2000, Swinney was elected as SNP leader, becoming the leader of the largest opposition party in the Scottish Parliament. Despite electoral setbacks in subsequent years, he remained a prominent figure within the party and served in various cabinet roles from 2007 to 2023, including Cabinet Secretary for Finance, Employment and Sustainable Growth; Cabinet Secretary for Finance, Constitution and Economy; and Cabinet Secretary for Education and Skills. In 2014, he was appointed Deputy First Minister, a role he held until 2023, and he became the longest-serving Deputy First Minister in May 2022. Swinney also served as Acting Finance and Economy Secretary and as Cabinet Secretary for Covid Recovery. Following Nicola Sturgeon's resignation as First Minister in 2024, Swinney was elected unopposed as leader of the SNP and assumed the role of First Minister. His tenure has seen electoral challenges, including significant seat losses in the 2024 UK general election and the 2026 Scottish Parliament election, but he continues to lead the party and its parliamentary group.