Jon Sopel Presenter The Politics Show

Hello again and welcome to the New Year...

A new year begins in Scotland, but is it all bright lights north of the border?

It may seem some time ago to those of you long since back in the office, but for the Politics Show at least, it is the new year... and where better to spend New Year than Scotland?

This week, we're travelling to Edinburgh to examine what difference an SNP Government is making.

Is Scotland the land of milk and honey, where English tax payers fund more free public services for the Scots?

Just how great is Alex Salmond's Scotland..?

Or is it, perhaps, a bit more complicated than that?

Our BBC Scotland political correspondent Glenn Campbell - familiar to viewers of Politics Show Scotland - will be making a special guest appearance.

And I'll talk live to Scotland's First Minister, Alex Salmond.

Nuclear question

Perhaps one interesting question will be what happens next for nuclear power..?

The nuclear question looms large

The government has announced that it will encourage the building of new nuclear power stations.

That may well include a site in Scotland, but the SNP are opposed to nuclear power.

To complicate things further... planning is devolved but energy is not - so how far will Mr Salmond go to stop new nuclear build in Scotland?

And on the Politics Show, we're nothing if not even handed.

I'll also be talking live to Mr Salmond's opposite number, the Labour Leader of the Opposition, Wendy Alexander.

She says Scotland should "walk taller not walk out" of the Union - but what does that mean and can she effectively oppose Alex Salmond?

Are the Scottish Highlands a real idyll..?

Plus... how best to regenerate the highlands?

Young people are still leaving the area in large numbers, but older retirees are emigrating in, and that's causing tensions.

Gillian Hargreaves will investigate.

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