Mr Swinney served as SNP leader from 2000 to 2004 and in a raft of Cabinet posts after that.
Several senior members of the SNP have put his name out there, urging him to return to frontline politics and steady the ship unsettled by Mr Yousaf’s imminent departure.
After seeing off an attempt to oust him by a party activist, Mr Swinney stepped down voluntarily after a poor showing at the 2004 European elections. He served in the role for the entirety of Mr Salmond’s tenure, before being appointed deputy first minister by Nicola Sturgeon when she took over. During his time as Nicola Sturgeon’s deputy, he cemented his reputation as a dogged defender of his boss, as well as an SNP stalwart.
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