Nicola Sturgeon: podcast appearances and interviews

Nicola Ferguson Sturgeon is a Scottish politician who served as the First Minister of Scotland and Leader of the Scottish National Party from 2014 to 2023. She was a member of the Scottish Parliament from 1999 to 2026, initially representing the Glasgow electoral region and later as the member for Glasgow Southside. Born in Ayrshire, she earned a law degree from the University of Glasgow and worked as a solicitor in Glasgow before her election to Parliament. Sturgeon held various positions within the SNP, including shadow minister for education, health, and justice. She was involved in the 2004 SNP leadership election and subsequently served as depute leader alongside Alex Salmond, leading the party in the Scottish Parliament from 2004 to 2007. Following the 2007 election, the SNP emerged as the largest party and formed a minority government with Salmond as First Minister, with Sturgeon as deputy. She served as health secretary from 2007 to 2012, overseeing changes to prescription charges and managing the 2009 swine flu pandemic. After the 2011 election, she was appointed Cabinet Secretary for Infrastructure, Capital Investment and Cities, during which she was involved in the 2014 Scottish independence referendum campaign. Sturgeon became leader of the SNP unopposed in 2014, and as the first woman to hold the position, she assumed office as First Minister amid strong electoral support for the SNP. During her tenure, she led the Scottish Government through multiple elections, managed responses to the COVID-19 pandemic, and navigated ongoing independence debates. She resigned as SNP leader in 2023 citing occupational burnout and announced her intention to step down as an MSP in 2026.