In the first magazine back after the summer parliamentary recess we have exclusive interviews with Deputy Prime Minister, Nick Clegg MP and Scotland’s new Secretary of State, Michael Moore MP.

The coalition government is “determined not to make the poor shoulder the burden of the cuts”, Clegg tells Holyrood, and accused the Labour party of “dishonesty” about its position on public spending. While Moore tells editor Mandy Rhodes that his appointment as Scottish Secretary following his friend and colleague David Law’s resignation was a “bittersweet moment”.

In our portfolio pages Scottish Police Federation chairman Les Gray outlines his fears for law and order in an age of austerity; we ask if the recession has encouraged a greater interest in distance learning; and, as suicide prevention week begins, we look at how Scotland is challenging the stigma associated with suicide.

Elsewhere our regular columnist, former First Minister Henry McLeish argues that the Conservatives are about to implement policies that would have been unthinkable in the Thatcher era; while Professor John Curtice explains why he thinks an independence referendum bill could have an important bearing on next May’s election, and former SNP MP Jim Sillars claims that with elections looming, Labour will stand back and let the SNP take the fall for the impending cuts.

We also take an indepth look at the teacher training crisis in Scotland and ask if Scotland is on the verge of a green revolution.

Holyrood magazine, out Monday.

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