As Scotland looks to a choice on its future, with the economy a feature of the debate, two academic contributions give us a new take on the past route that got us to where we are now.

They're from Glasgow University economic historians, and together, they put a new slant on the powerful political narratives, first, that Margaret Thatcher's government was to blame for the demise of heavy industry in Scotland, and second, that Scotland is well adapted to the demands of competing in the globalised economy.
Could it be, on the contrary, that the Thatcher government merely accelerated a trend that was not only already clear, but which had previously been seen positively by Scots?
And it may also be that Scots are far less globalised now than we were a century ago, with far more people now working for the state or selling to other Scots, with possible implications for the way voters approach their nation's future.
An academic paper by Jim Phillips argues that the old industries had been in long-term decline long before Margaret Thatcher's government accelerated the effect.
He says there had already been a recognition that the old heavy industries were not delivering growth while sustaining employment, which is why the industrial policies of the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s tried to find new industries to which people could move, offering higher value jobs, and a route to faster economic growth.
They may not have succeeded, but that was the intention.
That's why the emphasis was on consumer goods, for instance attracting the car plant into Linwood in Renfrewshire, and Burroughs the computer manufacturer into Cumbernauld.
The loss of coal-mining employment was seen as acceptable before the Thatcher era because they were negotiated with the workforce, because there were jobs in more modern, productive pits and because new jobs were becoming available, not least to employ women as they entered the workforce.
Through this period, Jim Phillips' academic paper points to the share of industrial employment falling from 42% of Scottish jobs in 1951 to 21% by 1991. It was an even steeper decline for Glasgow, with the figures demonstrating how long-term it had been; 50% industrial jobs in 1951, falling to 39% by 1971, 28% in 1981 as the Thatcher acceleration began to kick in, and 19% by 1991.
Even more marked was the decline in two of the big employing industries. In railways, employment fell from 55,000 in 1951 to 23,000 only 20 years later, and then down to 12,000 by 1991.
In coal, the fall was from 89,000 in 1951, to 34,000 in 1971, 25,000 in 1981, ahead of the miners' strike to stop pit closures, and only 2,400 ten years later.
Jim Phillips' point is that much of this change was intended rather than merely the result of external forces, natural process or accident. The new, more productive industries appeared attractive, at least until they turned out to offer much lower-skilled 'screwdriver' jobs, without negotiating change with workers or unions, and then it turned out the multinational companies moved on when their operating costs looked more attractive elsewhere.
What has this got to do with the way Scotland thinks now? Well, Prof Jim Tomlinson, also an economic historian at the University of Glasgow, was presenting a paper at the annual conference of the Economic History Society at Warwick University this past weekend, which takes on Jim Phillips' argument.
Tomlinson sees a link from the demise of the old industries, the rising insecurity of the new ones, and the rise of nationalism since the 1960s.
His argument is that Scotland in 1913 was probably the most globalised economy in the world. It exported to the empire in vast quantities. And while that empire was administered from London, the trade was not mediated through the UK economy.
Dundonians in the jute mills looked to the monsoon in Bengal more than the London stock exchange. Glaswegians looked to the demand for shipping worldwide, and the world market for capital goods.
It's even been suggested that, a century ago, the US provided a larger market for Scottish goods than England and Wales. Now, the rest of the UK accounts for twice as big a market for Scottish goods and services as the rest of the world put together.
The state, meanwhile, was very much smaller than we're used to now, with direct employment by the various layers of government coming to around 23% in Scotland, and indirect, state-funded employment putting that figure above 30%. A hundred years ago, the state's share was closer to 4%.
By contrast, it is reckoned that only around 10% of Scottish jobs are now in the manufacturing sector. Whisky, for instance, has been a huge exporting success of late, but as I've noted before, it isn't delivering as impressively on the jobs front.
So the argument is that Scots have ceased to look to a global market for the fruits of their labour.  While trade has globalised the economy, Scotland has apparently been heading in the opposite direction. We're now more focussed on the national economy, on provision of services for fellow Scots, not least through provision of public services such as health.
With an economy that's been made much less export-oriented, the Tomlinson thesis is that "there is now more of a 'national economy' in Scotland than ever before in its history".
He's implying that fewer people have a personal stake in securing trade routes into export markets. Their focus is much closer to home. And the professor has pointed out that has left Scotland much less vulnerable to shocks from elsewhere, so while it sounds like it may be a retreat from forces playing on the economy around us, it isn't entirely to be regretted.
Does that help explain the rising appeal of nationalism over the past 50 years? Most nationalists, of course, would argue the contrary. As Winnie Ewing put it at her by-election success in 1967, 'stop the world - Scotland wants to get on'.
At least one other consequence may be a tad controversial for some, but here it is anyway.  Where a part of the nationalist story is that Scotland had disappointingly low growth at least until the 1990s, that may be because it had slow-growing, old, heavy industries. When they went, growth picked up to the UK levels we've seen more recently.
Yet the demise of these industries, by the 1980s and 1990s, faced a strong consensus of Scottish opposition. The Labour Party, in those decades, was electorally successful at persuading Scots it was protecting them against those forces. The SNP was making similar arguments, though much less successfully at that time. In protecting the British welfare state, it has been much more successful of late.
Here's the question for both parties; had that opposition been more successful in protecting industries, would that growth rate not have been held back for longer?
One final thought from yet another economics paper published this past weekend, this one with a more directly political application.
A study of a referendum campaign on electoral reform in western Canada sought to find out if it is the politician or the message that makes the difference to the campaign, or as these academics from Columbia, the London School of Economics and Ryerson put it; 'content, charisma or cue?'
The outcome of their study was that the personality of the politician doesn't make much difference. Endorsements do, and equally so on the left and right.
The message can also be much more important than the political messenger. "Employing a message-based campaign or an endorsement-based campaign leads to about a 6 percentage point increase in the intention to vote 'yes' in the referendum," the report concludes.
You can interpret that according to taste, but it may have lessons for both sides of Scotland's independence campaign.


Scotland will play their first home futsal international on Wednesday evening.

The Scots meet Gibraltar in Perth in the five-a-side version of the game, which is credited with cultivating the intricate skills of Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo and Neymar.
The game is growing in popularity in this country and national coach Mark Potter is hopeful it can benefit the wider Scottish game.
"The ultimate aim would be to develop players who can make Scottish football clubs more successful in Europe," Potter told BBC Scotland.
A key difference between futsal, which originated in Uruguay in the 1930s, and the brand of five-a-side traditionally played in Scotland is the smaller, heavier ball used, which helps players master control and touch.
"I think the player development and the skill levels required provide a good synergy with the outdoor game, especially now when the entertainment levels expected of the top players are higher than they used to be," added Potter.
"Xavi, Iniesta, Messi and Ronaldo have all attributed their skills to playing futsal as youngsters. Brazil have many thousands of players who don't play any football until 15, 16 - they grow up playing futsal - and Brazil are recognised as producing some of the most skilful players in the world.
"There's no reason to suggest a programme that starts now couldn't produce world-class skill in 10, 15, 20 years - there's no question this is not going to be an overnight fix or that futsal is the panacea for all things that ail the sport.
"If it can help and produce one player then perhaps it's worth pursuing."
The national futsal team, which was only formed last year, now comes under the Scottish Football Association's Performance umbrella, headed by Brian McClair.
That, according to Potter, "would suggest the performance department sees futsal as having its own niche. By providing an aspirational forum for young players to grow into, hopefully we attract more people to the sport.
"If they can come and learn skills that make them more rounded football players and they can play for the 11-a-side team, that would be the ultimate aim."
Almost 700 adults play in six futsal leagues across the country, while the first internationals were played last year in the preliminary round for futsal's own version of Euro 2016.
The fledgling Scots team were beaten 13-0 by Sweden and 6-1 by both Israel and Armenia and while Gibraltar are footballing minnows, Potter warns they are "considerably ahead of us" in futsal terms.
"They've been playing futsal for a lot longer than we have in Scotland. The vast majority of the squad will play in the lower leagues in Spain and are therefore a considerable challenge," he added.
"We go to the next European Championship preliminary round in January 2017. We need to play games, we need to develop the squad and allow them to play against better opposition."
The squad, which features the former Hibernian player Ross Chisholm and Scott Chaplain, the ex-Albion Rovers midfielder, takes on Gibraltar on Wednesday and Thursday evening at the Bells Sports Centre in Perth.


Sue Beatt has become the first women to be voted into the post of Bowls Scotland chair.

Following the retirement of Bill Knox, member clubs and associations chose directors to the board, from which the chairman was then chosen.
Beatt said: "I am proud to have been elected Chair of one of Scotland's most established sports governing bodies.
"I aim to sustain the sport for the future whilst ensuring that current members and clubs are supported."
Beatt, who lives in Glasgow and is described as a "passionate bowler", has been a director of Bowls Scotland for the past two and a half years.
She is the owner and director of two businesses - People Solutions (Scotland) Ltd and The Whisky Ambassador Limited.
Knox added: "The election of Sue as chair of Bowls Scotland is fantastic.
"It shows that our clubs and members have chosen an individual with the relevant skill-set for the position.
"Sue will be a great asset to our board."


BBC Wales is looking at local issues in some of the key council battlegrounds ahead of the council elections on 3 May.

If you take a trip to the Newport Velodrome you will find elite athletes training next to keen amateurs, all in a council run facility.
However, this is not something local authorities have to provide and many councils are either closing leisure services or, like Bridgend, shifting centres to a separate public-private partnership.
Leisure is a non-statutory service, so is vulnerable to cuts.
Steve Ward, sport and leisure manager at Newport City Council says it's a tough choice.
"Local authorities are considering commercial operators and trusts to run facilities, it's a decision that councillors and politicians take seriously and is something everyone is looking at now," he said.
About 80% of council funding comes from the Welsh government, the other 20% from council tax.
Overall the 22 local authorities in Wales received a 0.2% increase in funding this year compared to last.
Cardiff received the greatest increase with 1.5%, Monmouthshire the greatest decrease with -1.8%.
However, the body that represents councils here, the Welsh Local Government Association says that if you take inflation into account, overall funding has been cut by 4.3 percent.
But even in these strained economic times councils have to pay for essential services and big ticket items like school improvements, new housing and road maintenance. Borrowing for these kinds of projects has risen by 80% in the last year, to Â£256m.
To cope with the pressure on budgets, local authorities have had learn to work together.
Torfaen council is now sharing education services with other councils.
The refurbishment of Ysgol Gyfun Gwynllyw, Pontypool's Welsh-medium school, is being funded by several councils that send pupils there, like Newport and Blaenau Gwent.
One of the biggest shared services is the Gwent Frailty Programme, a joint venture between the five councils in the former Gwent area and the Aneurin Bevan Health Board.
It's designed to help elderly people remain in their own homes.
Hugh Coombs, professor of accounting at the University of Glamorgan says models like this could be adopted elsewhere.
"There's talk of a mid Wales social services provision, and recently Caerphilly and Merthyr Tydfil council's announced they'll be working more closely when it comes to procurement to try to save money," he explained.
"So, because of the pressure on their budgets, councils are looking at different ways to still deliver services."
Each council across Wales delivers around 500 services, many you may not notice until they're gone.
Now with budgets strained, facilities like the Newport Velodrome are becoming a luxury, a dwindling number of councils can afford.


A team of detectives from police forces outside Northern Ireland is expected to investigate the activities of the army's most high-ranking agent within the IRA.

The agent, codenamed Stakeknife, stands accused of involvement in up to 50 murders.
He has been named by the media as former west Belfast man Freddie Scappaticci.
He has denied the allegations.
The investigation is expected to be the largest ever in the UK into allegations against a single individual.
Sources have told the BBC the case could take a team of up to 50 detectives at least five years to complete.
It is understood Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) Chief Constable George Hamilton is considering the option of using detectives from other police forces in an attempt to secure the support of relatives of Stakeknife's alleged victims, who have called for a fully independent investigation.
No single police force in England, Scotland or Wales is likely to be willing to release the number of detectives needed for the case.
The PSNI is expected to advertise for experienced detectives throughout Great Britain to apply to join a special major investigation team on secondment.
The team will report directly to Mr Hamilton, who will report to the Northern Ireland Policing Board about its activities.
Analysis
Bringing in a team of experienced detectives from other UK police forces may be easier said than done.
The cost is the first problem, as an investigation of this scale and complexity will have a price tag of millions of pounds.
The chief constable will first of all have to secure the funding needed from the Department of Justice and possibly the government at Westminster.
Even if the money is available, the number of detectives needed may not be.
Police forces throughout the UK are facing significant budget cuts and may not have sufficient resources to allow officers to go on secondment.
They will investigate allegations about the activities of Stakeknife and the IRA's internal security unit, the so-called "nutting squad", between 1978 and 1995.
The unit was responsible for identifying, interrogating and killing IRA members suspected of being informers.
It has been claimed that Mr Scappaticci, the son of an Italian immigrant, was a leading member, and the army agent codenamed Stakeknife.
Last month, the director of Public Prosecutions in Northern Ireland, Barra McGrory QC, announced that he had asked the police to investigate allegations that Stakeknife was involved in 24 murders.
That number could grow significantly.
The daughter of a woman, who was allegedly murdered by the same unit, has welcomed the news, saying it is "a step in the right direction".
Belfast woman Caroline Moreland, a Catholic mother of three, was abducted and murdered by the IRA in July 1994.
The body of the 34-year-old was found near Rosslea, County Fermanagh.
Speaking on BBC NI's Good Morning Ulster on Tuesday, Shauna Moreland said:  "It's welcome news, we want an independent investigation.
"We don't think the PSNI would investigate fairly. For it to be fair, it needs to be resourced from outside."
She said she was not disappointed at the anticipated five-year wait for the conclusions of the investigation.
"Five years is a long time but we knew it was a process - we knew we wouldn't get answers within a few months," she said.
The IRA's internal security unit is believed to have killed at least 53 people it claimed were informers between 1978 and 1995.
It is unlikely that Stakeknife had a role in of all of those killings, but they will all have to be re-investigated in an attempt to establish precisely the extent of his involvement.
Detectives will investigate the activities of all members of the IRA's internal security unit during that 17-year period to establish exactly how many people it killed, and the identities of all of those involved.
The police team will also investigate possible criminal behaviour by those within the Ministry of Defence, the army and the security service MI5 who worked with the agent, or received information he passed on.
It has been claimed that some of them may have directed the agent's activities, or failed to protect lives by acting on information he provided.
The Police Ombudsman will continue to investigate similar allegations about former Royal Ulster Constabulary Special Branch officers.
While other police forces may be willing to release detectives on secondment, they will not be prepared to pay the costs involved.
It is estimated that the cost of establishing a major investigation team of 20 detectives for a year is about Â£1m.
That means a team of 50 detectives for five years would cost Â£12.5m.
But the bill would be much higher if detectives are brought in from police forces in England, Scotland and Wales.
The cost of weekly flights in and out of Northern Ireland, accommodation and subsistence payments would also have to be met.
While the PSNI will not conduct the investigation, it will bear ultimate responsibility for the cost.
However, an investigation of this scale was not anticipated when the policing budget was allocated.
It is likely that the chief constable will ask the Department of Justice at Stormont for additional funding for this additional demand.
Northern Ireland Secretary Theresa Villiers could also be asked to secure funding from Westminster as Stakeknife was allegedly acting as an agent of the state during direct rule.
Mr Hamilton has said several times that his priority is for the PSNI to keep people safe today, and not tie up resources investigating the past.
Spotlight is on BBC One Northern Ireland at 22:40 GMT on Tuesday.


Two more bodies have been found on the beach at Camber Sands, hours after three men were pulled from the water on the hottest day of the year.

A member of the public found the two bodies as the tide receded at about 20:00 BST on Wednesday, the RNLI said.
A search is under way for a third person missing at the East Sussex beach. Lifeboats and a helicopter are combing the water off the coast.
Seven other people have died around the British coastline since Friday.
Richard Tollett, lifeboat operations manager at Rye Harbour, told the Press Association the RNLI received a request to launch at around 20:30.
He said: "As the tide has receded it has left a couple more bodies on the beach in the sand.
"A member of the public found them and that person reported another one in the water so we have got two lifeboats and a helicopter searching the area trying to find the other one."
The first alert came just after 14:10 when coastguard helicopters, a lifeboat, rescue teams and an air ambulance were sent to the scene after reports three men were in need of urgent medical assistance.
The beach was cleared and the public were asked to stay away while the emergency services dealt with the incident.
Suggestions that their deaths may be linked to jellyfish have been ruled out.
Sussex Police stated there was nothing to suggest the men were migrants.
Ch Supt Di Roskilly said: "This has been an incredibly tragic situation. At this stage we are doing all we can to establish who the men are and to identify next of kin."
Eyewitness Natalja Taylor, 30, said she saw three people being pulled out of the water, apparently by "regular people, not emergency personnel".
"There were so many people there. They were still on the beach when we left," she said.
She said police drove on to the beach with a loudspeaker telling people not to go into the water until further notice, and also taped off "a huge chunk of the beach so no-one could get near it".
She said: "It's pretty scary. I'm not sure how it happened. We decided not to go into the sea after seeing warning signs about some kind of fish.
"It wasn't particularly windy down there, it was just a hot, sunny beach day."
Charlotte Frederick, from London, who saw the rescue operation take place, said: "One was taken away on a rescue truck and the other two were left behind."
She said she realised later that the other two men had also died.
"We saw them take up a blanket and then after that we saw them taken in a body bag. It was really distressing," she said.
The incident happened on the hottest day of the year when the beach was packed with people.
Ch Supt Roskilly said: "This has been an incredibly tragic situation and very traumatic for those who were there on the beach at the time."
Last month, 19-year-old Brazilian Gustavo Silva Da Cruz died after getting into difficulty while swimming in the sea there. He was one of three men who got into trouble in the water.
Camber Sands is a popular destination for beach-goers and Rother District Council provides beach patrols there throughout the summer.
A council spokesman said: "While it's very upsetting to see two similar, tragic incidents this summer, over the years these kind of incidents are extremely rare and on a fine day around 25,000 people use the beach safely."
He said the beach patrols were able to advise people of potential dangers, reunite lost children with their families and deal with incidents on the beach.
"Although it's too early to draw any conclusions from this latest incident, in recent years we have seen a change in the make-up of visitors to Camber, including more people from outside the area who are not familiar with the sea and the dangers it can pose," he said.
He said incidents had included visitors entering the sea even though they could not swim, and in some cases going into the water fully clothed.


A man shot dead by police during an armed operation was on bail in connection with the death of a 73-year-old man in Kent.

The 36-year-old was fatally injured in Smiths Lane, Goudhurst, on Sunday, where a "non-police" firearm was found.
Police confirmed he was on bail in relation to the death of Roy Blackman, who was beaten to death during a burglary at his home last month.
The man has not been named but his family has been informed, police said.
The matter has been referred to the Independent Police Complaints Commission, which confirmed the 36-year-old man had been shot by police during the operation.
It said tests were being carried out on "what appeared to be a non-police firearm" found during the raid, which took place at about 20:30 BST.
Forensic examination of the scene was continuing, it said.
A post-mortem examination following Mr Blackman's death at his home in Headcorn Road, Biddenden, showed he died from multiple blunt-force injuries.
Mark Love, 37, of Frittenden Road, Staplehurst, has been charged with murder and aggravated burglary.


Queens Park Rangers' three-year battle with the English Football League over their Financial Fair Play sanction is due to be resolved next month.

An arbitration panel will determine if the EFL were within their rights to lodge a heavy fine against the London club for exceeding spending limits.
The EFL have never said what fine they planned to impose after QPR's promotion to the Premier League in 2014.
However, it was anticipated at the time it could be as much as £58m.
QPR were limited to making losses of £8m for the season in question. Their actual loss was £9.8m, but owner Tony Fernandes and other shareholders also wrote off £60m in loans as an "exceptional item".
The Loftus Road club were relegated back into the Championship after one season.


A man has been arrested following a crash on the M4 which left one person dead and 11 mile (18km) tailbacks from Newport to Cardiff.

Two lanes and the junction 28 A48 slip road were closed following the collision at about 04:15 GMT on Monday. They have since reopened.
A 56-year-old man died at the scene. His passenger, 29, was not injured.
A 45-year-old from Merthyr Tydfil was arrested on suspicion of causing death by dangerous driving.
Both the driver and passenger were from Ireland.
Tailbacks were reported to junction 33 on the M4 and to the A4232 (Pontprennau) on Eastern Avenue.
Check if this is affecting your journey


The value of oil and gas produced in Scotland fell to its lowest level since 1999, despite an increase in production.

Scottish government statistics revealed that production increased by more than a fifth in 2015-16.
However, the sales value of oil and gas dropped by £4.1bn on the previous year, to £13.4bn.
Economy secretary Keith Brown said the report showed the industry was adapting to low prices.
The Scottish Conservatives said the increase in production coincided with "significant" tax breaks introduced by the UK government.
Prices have dropped to below US$50 (£37) a barrel, compared to the high point of US$147 (£111) in July 2008.
Total sales value of Scottish North Sea oil and gas has dropped £10bn since 2013-14, when sales income amounted to £23.8bn.
It compares to a high point of £29.5bn in 2008-09.
The report also reveals the first increase in oil production in 13 years.
Other findings of the Oil and Gas Production Statistics include:
These numbers confirm what you should expect with a lot of investment - more output.
The capital spending boom in the offshore industry over recent years, which was at full pelt before the price tanked, is paying off with a big increase in production.
Not for the first time, there's lots flowing when the price is low and sticky. Unfortunately for producers, the North Sea is no place to turn off the taps until the price rises again.
What these numbers don't tell us is what profits are made, and therefore what tax can be expected to come from this. That's often the prism through which offshore oil and gas production is seen.
But in 2015-16, operating expenses plus capital expenditure equalled £16.9bn, with sales of £13.4bn. That doesn't suggest healthy profit, or tax on it.
Also while the one-year figures look strong in production, you can see longer term patterns from this data set. Seventeen years ago, output of oil and gas from Scottish waters was at 185m tonnes, falling to 58m in 2014-15, and up to 70m last year.
The volume of crude oil pumped from under the seabed in Scottish waters is down 65%. Natural gas is down 60%. Gas output is down more in English waters, where gas accounts for 40% of UK production.
The economy secretary said: "Although this remains a difficult time for the industry and its workforce, it is encouraging to note this increase in production as the industry adapts to the current period of low prices."
The government "continues to do all that it can" to support the industry, he added, and a taskforce set up to support jobs in the energy sector is due to meet in Aberdeen for the 11th time later.
Earlier this year, a report by Oil & Gas UK predicted that the number of jobs lost as a result of the downturn in the sector could top 120,000 by the end of 2016.
Mr Brown said: "Our support also includes £24.5m for increased innovation and business-support measures and the £12m Transition Training Fund, which offers grants to individuals to support their redeployment through retraining or further education.
"We will also maintain pressure on the Treasury to honour promises made in last March's budget to use the UK Guarantees Scheme for oil and gas infrastructure to help secure new investment in assets of strategic importance.
"The Scottish government strongly believes that the North Sea oil and gas sector can have a bright future for years to come. This, however, will continue to require a concerted effort from all stakeholders."
Murdo Fraser, the Scottish Conservatives' finance spokesman, said the increase in oil and gas production coincided with "significant" tax breaks introduced by the UK government last year.
"We are now seeing that tactic work, as production rose directly after the measures were introduced," he said.
"Of course much more needs to be done, and these breaks ought to continue having a beneficial impact on the North Sea.
"However, with prices remaining low across the globe, it is an industry which remains under immense pressure. Fortunately, the strength of the UK economy is able to absorb this nosedive, meaning public spending can be protected."
Scottish Labour's economy spokeswoman, Jackie Baillie, claimed the Scottish government had "ignored the crisis in the oil and gas industry for months because ot was politically embarrassing for them."
She added: Rather than brush these problems under the carpet, the SNP needs to confront the reality of these figures.
"The SNP government should commission an urgent review of the measures to protect jobs and skills such as the transition training fund."


Liverpool Mayor Joe Anderson has been elected as the new chair of the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority.

He replaces Wirral Council leader Phil Davies who stepped down from the post.
The authority includes council leaders from Liverpool, Wirral, Sefton, St Helens, Knowsley and Halton in Cheshire.
A new metro cabinet has been unveiled to oversee the devolution of powers from Whitehall.
Merseyside became the sixth region to agree a settlement giving its political leaders wide-ranging powers under a devolution deal signed last month.
Councillor Phil Davies held the role of chair since the combined authority was formed in April 2014, with the leader of St Helens council Barrie Grunewald elected as Deputy Chair in June.


In the circumstances of a slowing global economy, the 0.5% quarter-on-quarter growth in UK GDP or national income, down from 0.7%, is more than respectable.

And the point is that our giant service sector - which is almost 80% of our economy - continues to power ahead, expanding 0.7% compared with the previous three months.
Thank goodness we're still shopping till we drop, and that we have a world-class business services and finance sector (probably needless to say that the banking bit of the latter isn't universally popular - but we can't wish its size and competitiveness away).
Of course if there is a worry about the growth of services it is that it's driven to a great extent by our own spending, which is why we continue to run big deficits on our trade and investment with the rest of the world.
And that's not sustainable in the long term.
But it's hard to argue, with employment at record highs, that we'd be better off without our services prowess.
Anyway the only substantial drag on growth was a sharp 2.2% quarter-on-quarter fall in construction.
That sector is volatile - although property companies tell me that the drop in building activity, especially in London, is significant and may go on for a bit.
As for manufacturing, well it's in recession - again - having fallen for two quarters and stagnated at the start of the year.
I've said it before and I'll say it again: there has been zero rebalancing towards the so-called makers since the crash of 2008, in spite of government pledges to the contrary.
So our service sector is now 11% bigger than its pre-recession peak, whereas manufacturing is more than 6% smaller.
And although we love to flagellate ourselves that this concentration on services means our economy is in some sense inferior to Germany's, it is worth noting that the UK economy is currently 6.4% bigger than before it all went pear-shaped, whereas Germany's is only about 5% bigger.
And that manufacturing economy Italy is 9% smaller than seven years ago.
Anyway enough with the cheery British news.
We're not immune to the Chinese-led worldwide deceleration. And all the signs are that growth in the fourth quarter of the year will soften again.
This doesn't mean a painful recession is about to rear up and bite us. Annual growth for 2015 is heading for a healthy, if slightly below trend, 2.3%.
But it does mean the ride into 2016 may get slower and bumpier.


A journalist has left the southern Russian republic of Chechnya amid fears for her safety, after writing that a teenage girl was being forced to marry a police commander much older than her.

Elena Milashina had written that the local police head, Nazhud Guchigov, had threatened reprisals against the girl's family if she was not handed over.
The police commander was also said to be married to another woman.
Ms Milashina's newspaper said she fled after her safety was threatened.
A prominent investigative journalist with independent newspaper Novaya Gazeta, she reported in late April that villagers had approached her when the 46-year-old police commander in Nozhay-Yurt prevented Kheda Goylabiyeva, 17, from leaving her home.
The paper claimed that the commander had given the family an ultimatum to hand over the girl, threatening reprisals if they did not.
Chechnya's authoritarian leader Ramzan Kadyrov, a diehard loyalist of President Vladimir Putin, has in recent years outlawed the abduction of brides and underage marriage.
Although polygamy is banned under Russian law, reports say the Chechen leader is in favour of it.
He took to his Instagram account on Thursday to criticise Russian media coverage of "this fuss ordered by some liberals".
"The girl's parents gave their blessing to this marriage," he claimed, arguing that reports to the contrary were filled with lies.
Elena Milashina was said to have visited the girl's village of Baytarki on Thursday, but then left Chechnya after being warned by police officers from Siberia of a potential threat to her safety from Chechen police.
The Chechen interior ministry said it was "extremely surprised" by the alleged threat and accused the reporter of acting provocatively by entering people's homes in the village.
Ms Milashina is well known in Russia for her reports on the northern Caucasus.
She was attacked in Moscow in 2012, when her laptop was stolen.
In 2006, Anna Politkovskaya, another renowned Novaya Gazeta investigative reporter and vocal critic of President Putin's war in Chechnya, was murdered at her block of flats in Moscow.


At least six people, including three policemen, have been killed in a suicide bombing in eastern Afghanistan.

A lorry filled with explosives was detonated outside a police compound in Puli Alam, capital of Logar province.
The Taliban claimed the bombing, the first major attack since the militants confirmed last week that their leader, Mullah Omar, was dead.
It came as an Afghan military helicopter crashed in the south, causing a number of casualties.
The cause of the crash, in Zabul province, is unclear and the number of casualties has not been confirmed but local officials say as many as 17 people may have been killed.
The blast in Logar, near the capital Kabul, was the latest in a wave of militant assaults this year since most foreign troops withdrew from Afghanistan.
"The bomb was huge and it was carried by a mini-truck," said provincial Governor Aleem Fedaee.
"It inflicted a lot of damage to the civilians and broke windows even a kilometre away."
At least 13 people were wounded, medical officials said.
In a statement, the Taliban said they had targeted military and paramilitary units.
Last week's Taliban statement did not say where, when or how Mullah Omar had died.
The Afghan government said the Taliban leader had died in hospital in the Pakistani city of Karachi two years ago.
However, Pakistan has always denied that he was in the country.
Mullah Akhtar Mansour, Mullah Omar's deputy, has replaced him, Taliban sources have said, amid reports his appointment has caused deep divisions in the movement.


Today should have been the day MPs got to question - for the first time since June - Welsh Secretary Stephen Crabb and his deputy Alun Cairns.

Instead, MPs devoted the slot to tributes to the Queen becoming Britain's longest-reigning monarch. Messrs Crabb and Cairns will return next week when they will be faced by a revitalised/demoralised (delete as appropriate) Labour team.
Prime minister's questions followed, dominated by a debate between the departing Harriet Harman and David Cameron on how to tackle the refugee crisis.
SNP Westminster leader Angus Robertson raised the use of a drone aircraft to kill Reyaad Khan in Syria: "We learnt this week of a new UK policy of drone strikes against terrorist suspects in regions where there is not parliamentary approval for general military action. Will the prime minister provide all relevant information to the intelligence and security committee, so that it can conduct a review?
David Cameron replied: "I am happy to do that, with the only proviso that the intelligence and security committee cannot be responsible for overseeing current operations. The responsibility for current operations must lie with the Government, who have to come to the House of Commons to explain that. I am not going to contract out our counter-terrorism policy to someone else: I take responsibility for it. But it is important that after these events have taken place, the ISC is able to make investigations.
Closer to home, the prime minister sidestepped a question from Blaenau Gwent Labour MP Nick Smith about possible delays to the electrification of the railway between London and Swansea.
Mr Smith asked: "Experts say that delivery of the electrification of the main line between Paddington and Swansea is slipping. How will the prime minister get this project back on track and budget by the delivery date of 2018?
David Cameron told him: "We are committed to this electrification all the way to Swansea, and we are making record investments in our railway line. Many of us, including opposition members, were privileged to be at Newton Aycliffe for the opening of the Hitachi factory that will be providing the state-of-the-art trainsâ€”trains built not in Japan, but here in Britain, bringing 700 new jobs to the north-east of England."
That may be good news, but it doesn't necessarily answer the question of whether or not the line will be electrified by 2018.


Artificial lighting in harbours is attracting sea creatures that damage ships and boats, a study suggests.

Scientists believe that the night-time illumination is altering the behaviour of some animals that attach to vessels' hulls. Keel worms, for example, are lured in by the lights.
Other shade-loving animals were deterred by the brightness, seeking darker waters elsewhere.
The study is published in the Royal Society journal Biology Letters.
"The presence of lighting at night can change the composition of these marine communities," said Dr Thomas Davies, an ecologist from the University of Exeter, UK.
"There is also what we call an 'ecosystem disservice'.  The presence of artificial lighting might actually increase 'fouling' species that can damage boats."
Scientists estimate that just under a quarter of the world's coastal regions, excluding Antarctica, experience artificial lighting at night. Harbours, marinas, oil rigs and fisheries contribute to the glow.
To study the impact, researchers looked at sessile creatures: small animals that live in sediment or fix to hard surfaces. The group includes mussels, barnacles, sponges and sea squirts.
When these invertebrates are at the larval stage of their life cycle, they use light to seek out the best place to cling to, where they will then spend their adult years.
Dr Davies said: "That settlement process - that process of finding the right habitat - is guided in many species by the intensity and spectral quality of lighting."
To investigate, the team built artificial rafts and exposed them to different lighting conditions.
They were placed in the Menai Strait, which lies between the island of Anglesey and the northwest coast of Wales.
They found that some species, including a small bristle-like creature called Plumularia setacea,and a colonial sea squirt, preferred darkness; and few settled on the well-lit rafts.
Others, such as keel worms, were drawn by the light, which is unfortunate for the shipping industry - an influx of these animals can slow down boats and they are expensive to remove.
The scientists now want to look at how lighting affects a wider range of marine organisms, and to quantify exactly how much disruption is it causing.
"If it is causing a significant problem in harbours and marinas, there are certain things that can be done," explained Dr Davies.
"Avoiding using artificial light is one of them, but, if necessary, we need to conduct studies to find what types of artificial lighting are likely to be causing these effects.
"In terrestrial environments, some species' responses are dependent on the spectra of light you are using - so shorter wavelengths tend to be more attractive to moths than longer wavelengths, for example. And we may find something similar in marine environments."


The US electoral college has certified Donald Trump as the 45th president, despite a last-ditch effort to deny him the White House.

Six weeks after winning the polls, the Republican cruised past the 270 votes needed to formalise his victory.
After the result, Mr Trump promised to "work hard to unite our country and be the president of all Americans".
Electors had been flooded with emails and phone calls urging them not to support the billionaire.
But despite longshot liberal hopes of a revolt by Republican electors, only two - from Texas - ended up voting against him.
Mr Trump secured 304 votes, compared with 227 for Hillary Clinton.
It was the Democratic candidate who ended up losing more electoral votes in Monday's ballot at state capitols nationwide.
Five of her electors defected, with three voting for ex-Secretary of State Colin Powell, one for a Native-American tribal leader and another for Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders.
The electoral college result will be officially announced on 6 January in a special joint session of Congress.
"I thank the American people for their overwhelming vote to elect me as their next president of the United States," Mr Trump said in a statement after the result came in.
"With this historic step we can look forward to the bright future ahead."
One of the Democratic electors who did vote for Mrs Clinton was her husband, Bill Clinton, and he angrily lashed out at Mr Trump.
According to an upstate New York newspaper, the former president said of Mr Trump in a local book shop on Saturday: "He doesn't know much. One thing he does know is how to get angry, white men to vote for him."
Mr Clinton also told the weekly Bedford and Pound Ridge Record-Review that FBI Director "James Comey cost her (Mrs Clinton) the election" by reopening an inquiry into her emails.
He was also incredulous at Mr Trump's cordial tone during a phone call the day after the election, saying the Republican had acted "like it was 15 years ago" when he was on good terms with the Clintons.
The voting process is usually a formality, but was overshadowed this year by claims that Russian hackers tried to sway the presidential election.
Millions of Americans signed an online petition stating that Mr Trump was unfit for the Oval Office, while anti-Trump protesters gathered at state capitols across the country.
In Pennsylvania, more than 200 demonstrators braved sub-zero temperatures, chanting: "No treason, no Trump!'"
In Maine, protesters beat drums and waved signs saying: "Don't let Putin Pick Our President."
In Madison, Wisconsin, demonstrators cried.
Numerically, Mr Trump's opponents never stood much chance. To keep him out of the Oval Office, 38 Republican electors would have had to defect.
Even that would probably only have delayed the inevitable.
If no candidate had reached 270 in the electoral college, the House of Representatives would have voted on the next president.
The Republican-controlled chamber would most likely have picked Mr Trump.
Mr Trump is due to take office on 20 January.
The institution was set up by America's founding fathers as a compromise between allowing Congress and the people to elect the president.
Technically, Americans cast votes on election day for electors, not the candidates themselves.
The electors are mostly elected officials or party functionaries, and are generally unknown to the public.
There are 538 in all, one for each member of Congress, plus three for District of Columbia.
Although Democrat Hillary Clinton secured almost three million more votes from the public, Mr Trump won the majority of electors - 306.
What is the US electoral college?


Competing in front of an expectant home crowd at the European Championships will help Adam Peaty cope with the pressure of being an Olympic medal favourite, says Rebecca Adlington.

Adlington, the retired two-time Olympic champion, feels the Europeans, which start in London on Monday, will provide the perfect build-up to Rio.
The 21-year-old from Derby won three world titles in 2015.
"He's the hot favourite who everyone wants to beat," said Adlington.
"At the Europeans everyone will be looking at him and hopefully facing up to all of that pressure and experiencing the atmosphere will make the Olympics a little easier."
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Peaty's early-season form has been impressive.
His 100m breaststroke victory at the British Olympic trials last month saw him climb to the top of the world rankings in the event.
Peaty was among a 26-strong squad named for this summer's Games who will also compete as a squad together for the London Europeans.
"The strength in depth in a great thing for British Swimming because everyone is really pushing each other on," Adlington told BBC Sport.
"Traditionally GB swimmers haven't been able to swim fast in the heats and then again in the finals as we lacked the depth and didn't need to do that at trials.
"We were being caught out at big events, but now we're starting to see that consistency.
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"Adam does it all the time - he's a born racer - but there are others too and that's great for Britain's prospects at the Europeans and Olympics."
While British men - Peaty, James Guy and the 4x200m freestyle relay team - stole the headlines with World gold medals in 2015, Adlington feels the GB women can make a major impact in 2016 too.
"Fran Halsall and Hannah Miley have so much experience but I think both Jazz Carlin and Siobhan-Marie O'Connor have great chances too," she said.
"Jazz has had illnesses but is really coming into her own, whilst I think Siobhan is at the right age to push forward and get to the stage Adam [Peaty] is at.
"They have done it at the Worlds [with bronze medals each] and now they will want to make their mark at the Europeans and Olympics."
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A lizard is believed to have hitched a ride from Florida to Aberdeen in a suitcase.

The Mackenzie family found the lizard - nicknamed Flo Rida - at their Ferryhill home while unpacking.
Siouxsie Mackenzie said: "The lizard must have jumped in one of our suitcases as we were packing."
It is now being cared for at the Scottish SPCA's centre in Drumoak and has been offered a home by an exotic animal rescue charity in Inverness.


The US military has lifted its ban on transgender members serving openly in the country's armed forces.

The new policy, which will allow troops to transition gender while serving and will set standards for medical care, will be phased in over a year.
"This is the right thing to do for our people and for the force," said Defence Secretary Ash Carter.
It will ensure no-one can be discharged or denied re-enlistment based on their gender identity.
Jamie Ewing, who was kicked out of the US Army for being transgender, told the BBC she was happy to hear the news.
"I am very pleased," she said. "I look forward to re-enlisting and to hopefully wear my uniform again sometime in the near future as a soldier in the US Army."
But Republican Senator Jim Inhofe of Oklahoma criticised the government for "forcing their social agenda" on the military and said the policy change should be put on hold.
Earlier at a press conference at the Pentagon, Mr Carter said: "Our mission is to defend this country, and we don't want barriers unrelated to a person's qualification to serve preventing us from recruiting or retaining the soldier, sailor, airman, or Marine who can best accomplish the mission."
He said a recent study by the Rand Corporation, commissioned by the military, estimates that there are between 2,500 and 7,000 transgender active service members in a total force of 1.3 million, with an additional 1,500 to 4,000 among reserve units.
The Palm Center, an influential think tank which studies gender in the military, estimates that there are about 12,800 transgender service members.
Transgender individuals will be able to enlist in one year, as long as they have been "stable" in their identified gender for 18 months.
Mr Carter called the policy "a matter of principle" and said he had consulted transgender service members over the years to discuss how best to meet their needs.
He also looked at policies in countries like the UK, Israel and Australia, which already allow transgender members to serve openly.
"I'm confident that we have reason to be proud today on what this will mean for our military," he said. "It's the right thing to do. Our military, and the nation it defends, will be stronger."


Barcelona defender Gerard Pique says his side will still win the Spanish league title despite slipping to a fourth defeat in five games on Sunday.

In early April Barca led the league by nine points and were on course for a second consecutive La Liga, Champions League and Spanish Cup treble.
But a 2-1 loss at home to Valencia saw Atletico Madrid go joint top, four days after they knocked Barca out of Europe.
"We can't be worried when you look at the way we're playing," Pique said.
Barca created plenty of chances during Sunday's defeat by mid-table Valencia, with away keeper Diego Alves making a string of superb saves as the Catalan side suffered three successive La Liga defeats for the first time since 2003.
"If we play like this we'll win the league, I'm convinced of that," added Spain centre-back Pique.
"Although it's a step backwards, playing this well will help the team mentally. We've recovered the sensations from a month ago."
Real Madrid were the first team to beat Barca in 39 matches when they won 2-1 at the Nou Camp on 2 April and are now just one point behind in third.
Luis Enrique's side followed up that defeat by their fierce rivals with a 1-0 loss at Real Sociedad and have five league games to play before their Copa del Rey final against Sevilla on 22 May.
"Feeling sorry for ourselves we won't win anything," Enrique said.
"I think we have criticised ourselves when it has been necessary, but today is not a day to criticise my players, it is a day to congratulate them," he added after Sunday's game.
"In the second half the players gave a lesson in how to face a situation like this. Until the 93rd minute they were trying to equalise and that is something to highlight.
"We've got a marvellous challenge. If we win the five games remaining we will be champions. If there is a team capable of doing it - and much more given what they have done - it is this Barca."


A £200m electronic patient record system that will eventually make two hospitals paperless has gone live.

The system at Addenbrooke's and Rosie hospitals in Cambridge means nurses can access patient records on handheld devices instead of waiting for notes.
Addenbrooke's said it is the biggest patient care investment it has made.
Chief information officer Dr Afzal Chaudhry said patients should get medication quicker and leave sooner with the system in place.
The hospital is the first in the UK to use Epic's eHospital system, which is used in hospitals in the US.
The software currently contains more than 2.1m patient records from the last five years and it can be used on 7,000 computers and devices at the hospitals.
Nurses can quickly access and update patient records using 500 iPod Touch devices and using its barcode scanner, run tests such as measuring blood pressure.
The software can also be accessed on staff smartphones.
Last week the Cambridge News reported some staff were "panicking" and there was a "sense of doom" about the new system, which has required 200,000 hours of staff training.
A spokesman for Cambridge University Hospitals said no specific concerns had been highlighted up to chief executive level, but staff would be given 24-hour support.
It is expected to take a year until the system works entirely without paper.
Dr Chaudhry said: "It is the biggest single investment the Trust has ever made in the quality of patient care, and will make a real difference for everyone who comes into the Trust.
"Patients will get their medication quicker, nurses can spend more time with their patients and people who are treated here will get home sooner."


Lufthansa cancelled just under half of its long-haul flights planned for Tuesday after its pilots' union called a strike.

The airline also expected cancellations to its short-haul flights on Wednesday as the union called for an extension.
The strike, the 13th in 18 months, will affect passenger and cargo flights out of Germany.
Lufthansa said it would still operate 90 out of 170 planned long-haul flights.
Lufthansa has published a special flight schedule to keep passengers up to date with cancellations.
The pilots' union Vereinigung Cockpit (VC) is in a long-running dispute over pay, retirement benefits and cost cuts.
The union says it has offered concessions, including increasing the average retirement age to 60.
But talks between VC and management broke down again last week.
Lufthansa is trying to cut costs as it battles to maintain market share through its budget airline Eurowings against low-cost rivals such as Ryanair.
VC wants to stop Lufthansa hiring pilots for Eurowings, which has an Austrian operating licence, on non-German contracts.


Scotland's international reputation as a haven for wildlife is at risk because of the country's failure to investigate and prosecute wildlife crime effectively, it has been claimed.

The findings of a new report, which include the suggestion that offences are greatly under-reported, have been described as a "damning indictment".
The report was published by Scottish Environment Link.
But the Crown Office dismissed the report as "ill informed".
And Police Scotland said investigations into the suspicious deaths of wildlife were "complex, difficult and prolonged", but said improvements had been made with the creation of the single force two years ago.
Eddie Palmer, the convener of the Link's wildlife crime task force, said: "Practices that were once acceptable are now considered cruel and criminal.
"This is especially so where the practices are obviously linked with economic interests.
"Behaviour in certain minority groups has lagged well behind these changes in our attitudes.
"It is time to change that behaviour and stamp out these crimes."
But the report prompted a strongly-worded response from the Crown Office.
A spokesman said: "This report is ill informed and based on flawed methodology.  It is a matter of real concern that no discussion or contact in relation to these cases has been made with the Crown.  The Crown rejects the finding of this report on the basis that many of the conclusions are inaccurate.
"There was no consultation with us prior to publication and therefore no context for the erroneous conclusions and recommendations which appear to be supported by examples which are outdated and anecdotal at best.
"The Crown will raise these concerns directly with Scottish Environment Link."
Police Scotland pointed out that the report covered the period between 2008 and 2013 - before the creation of the new single police force, which it said had brought a "consistent, high level of investigation and investigative scrutiny to all reported wildlife crime".
A spokeswoman for the force said: "Tackling wildlife crime is not just about law enforcement, it is about working with partners and the public to raise awareness and to prevent it happening.
"Police Scotland is committed to investigating all reports of suspected wildlife crime. Investigations into the suspicious deaths of wildlife are complex, difficult and prolonged. The areas covered can be vast and remote, and it is seldom immediately apparent whether wildlife has died as the result of criminality.
"We have a network of dedicated wildlife crime officers across the country with extensive experience and are introducing a new training courses for police officers which will substantially increase the number of officers with specialist understanding of wildlife crime."
The Scottish government has described tackling wildlife crime as a priority and has already introduced new legislation designed to deal with the problem.
The Wildlife and Natural Environment Act allows for the prosecution of landowners who fail to ensure their employees comply with laws which protect birds of prey. This is known as vicarious liability.
General licences, which allow gamekeepers to kill crows and some other bird species, can also be withdrawn in cases where raptor persecution is suspected.
A Scottish government spokeswoman said: "We have the strongest laws on wildlife crime in the UK, including vicarious liability, which was recently successfully used in the courts.
"We are reviewing the penalties for wildlife crime to ensure they are an adequate deterrent and there are now arrangements in place to restrict the use of general licences where there are grounds to believe wildlife crime has taken place.
"We have been clear that we will continue to take whatever further steps are deemed necessary to deal with wildlife crime."
But campaigners argue more must be done to ensure police and prosecutors are using existing laws effectively.
Ian Thomson of RSPB Scotland said: "A law is only as good as its enforcement, and the comprehensive analysis contained in these papers shows that this is far from good enough here in Scotland."
The report's main findings include:
Douglas McAdam, chief executive of the landowners' organisation Scottish Land and Estates, said: "The Link report seems to dismiss the official statistics produced by the Scottish Government in recent years which show most types of wildlife crime in Scotland have reduced in recent years or are now stable at single figure or tens of incidents recorded by police each year.
"The government produces a rigorous annual report into wildlife crime, and part of the reason for introducing that is to get at the facts.
"Far and away the most common form of wildlife crime is poaching and illegal hare coursing and we believe that is an area which needs to be prioritised."
A spokesman for the Scottish Gamekeepers Association said: "There are many partner organisations involved in tackling wildlife crime in Scotland, ourselves included, and all groups are entitled to call for things in public.
"However, this appears more to be a thinly veiled public vote of no confidence in Police Scotland and a fight between who should have control over wildlife crime investigations and how they should operate.
"As a member representative organisation with no investigatory powers, we don't want, therefore, to be drawn into an operational power battle between charities with investigative roles and the police service."


How delays are dealt with and the cost of tickets are the biggest concerns for train users, new figures show.

Independent watchdog Transport Focus interviewed 1,244 Welsh commuters in its latest survey.
Since its last poll in Autumn 2016, those satisfied with how delays are dealt with and ticket value for money have dropped by four percentage points to 38% and 57%, respectively.
But overall, 83% were satisfied with Arriva Trains Wales' service.
Satisfaction with other aspects, such as stations (76%) and crowding levels (72%) remained largely unchanged.
Noting other points, Anthony Smith, the watchdog's chief executive, said: "Arriva Trains Wales passengers have clocked an improvement in satisfaction with aspects of their stations including the availability of staff.
"They are also happier with ticket buying facilities, cleanliness and personal security at stations."
The watchdog said results were in line with another recent survey it carried out relating to what passengers expect when a new rail contract is awarded in October 2018.
Four companies, including Arriva Trains Wales, are competing to run the Wales and Border franchise and develop a South Wales Metro system.
Mr Smith said passengers appreciated service from staff and wanted to see more seats on better quality trains.
Arriva Trains Wales has faced criticism about overcrowding and the age of carriages as rail user numbers continue to rise.
Barry Lloyd, head of customer experience for Arriva Trains Wales, said: "The fact we've improved in these areas shows we've really listened to customers from past surveys, investing in new technology for ticket buying and training our staff to give the best service possible.
"Our mobile phone tickets, new machines on stations and longer booking office opening hours are testimony to this as well as multiple examples of great service by our staff week in week out and during the Champions League, which attracted national media coverage."


Iraq has declared Baghdad's heavily fortified Green Zone open to the public for the first time in 12 years.

Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi said the move was part of a reform drive that he had "promised the people".
However, he added, some restrictions would remain, with a number of streets requiring a special pass.
The 10 sq km (four sq miles) area - home to government buildings and foreign embassies - was closed after the US-led invasion in 2003.
"The opening of the Green Zone is one of the measures we promised the people," a statement from Mr Abadi's office said on Sunday.
"The prime minister opened the Green Zone to public passage and people in their vehicles came in droves," it added.
It is the latest in a series of steps by Mr Abadi to ease sectarian tensions and crack down on corruption.
Baghdad has seen weeks of protests over poor services and abuses of power.
The Green Zone - which lies on the west bank of the Tigris River - was declared a no-go area for the public in 2003.
The complex is protected by high concrete walls with barbed wire and a number of checkpoints.
Despite this, it has been targeted a number of times by militant groups.
Many Iraqis have long complained that the Green Zone has become a symbol of disconnect between the country's top officials and ordinary citizens.
The opening comes a day after at least 18 people were killed in two car bomb attacks in Baghdad.
Dozens of people have been killed in bombings across the capital in recent months.


England's Euro 2016 qualifier in Lithuania was marred by crowd trouble, with riot police required to quell skirmishes between rival fans.

Fighting broke out in a stand behind one of the goals just before the match began in Vilnius.
Local police quickly intervened, forming a barrier between fans to prevent the violence escalating.
Some England fans appeared to have purchased tickets for sections of the ground designated for home supporters.
BBC Radio 5 live reporter Alan Green reported he had seen missiles being thrown by fans.
England won 3-0 with goals from Ross Barkley and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, either side of an own goal from Lithuania keeper Giedrius Arlauskis.
Victory means Roy Hodgson's side have won all 10 of their qualifying matches for next summer's European Championship in France.


Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) has taken a step towards returning to private hands, by regaining control over its dividend payments.

RBS, which is still 73% government-owned, said it had paid the Treasury £1.2bn to end an arrangement giving the government priority over dividends.
The payment puts a stop to the Dividend Access Scheme (DAS), which came into being in 2009 after RBS was bailed out.
The government intends to sell most of its RBS stake in the next five years.
It bought an 84% stake to save the bank at the height of the financial crisis in 2008, but has since reduced its holding.
RBS group chief executive Ross McEwan said the step was being taken "on the back of progress we have made in strengthening the bank's balance sheet in recent years".
The bank reported a loss of £1.98bn for 2015, its eighth year of annual losses.
At the time, it said that it did not expect to pay a dividend to shareholders in 2016, saying: "We now consider it more likely that capital distributions will resume later than Q1 2017."


A stalker who repeatedly stabbed a woman with scissors in Exeter has been jailed for life.

Joseph Willis, 49, from the city, was found guilty of attempting to murder Helen Pearson, 34, near St Bartholomew's Cemetery.
The attack followed a five-year stalking campaign of Ms Pearson.
The sentencing at Exeter Crown Court came amid accusations Devon and Cornwall Police failed to properly investigate the case.
Judge Paul Darlow directed that Willis serves at least 13 years in prison before he can be considered for parole.
The court heard Ms Pearson's flat and car were targeted and abusive messages were daubed on the streets around her house.
Threatening letters were sent to her and a dead cat was left on her doorstep.
About 125 reports of stalking were logged by Devon and Cornwall Police over the course of five years before the attempted murder.
Ms Pearson said before the sentencing: "I was terribly failed. The attacks were getting worse and worse and the police failed to realise that and act."
The Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) is investigating whether police missed opportunities.
The force has confirmed it is helping the IPCC with its investigation.
The force's professional standards department is also carrying out its own review of the case.


World famous conductor Sir Andrew Davis is one of the most familiar faces at the Proms.

Having first conducted there in 1971, and regularly since, he is back in 2014 to launch the musical festivities with a First Night performance of Elgar's The Kingdom.
Sir Andrew, who turned 70 in February, is one of four of this year's British Proms conductors celebrating significant birthdays.
Sir Neville Marriner - who last conducted a Prom in 1997 -  is 90, while Sir Roger Norrington is 80 and Donald Runnicles turns 60 in November.
After 11 years with the BBC Symphony Orchestra, Sir Andrew became music director and principal conductor of Lyric Opera of Chicago in 2000. In 2013 he also became chief conductor of the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra.
He returns to the Albert Hall on 19 August when the Melbourne orchestra makes its Proms debut with Strauss's Don Jon, Elgar's Cello Concerto and Symphonie fantastique by Berlioz.
We spoke to Sir Andrew during rehearsals for Friday's  opening performance.
There's a devotional sense about it, but it's very human at the same time.
I find the ending one of the most deeply moving things in music. It is serene but also joyous and exultant at times.
It's not a riotous piece to get everybody on their feet, but it's a wonderful statement and the music is Elgar at his greatest.
I'm sure all the Elgar fans are going to be delighted because it doesn't get performed that often.
Oh yes, absolutely. The Albert Hall is still my most preferred concert hall in London. I love the atmosphere there.
I can't wait to hear what the Prommers think of them.
The Symphonie fantastique is one of the most remarkable pieces. I always think it occupies a similar place in musical history to that occupied by The Rite of Spring. They were both revolutionary in their way.
I remember hearing a performance of Elgar's The Dream of Gerontius that made a deep impression on me.
I earned money from a paper round and I saved up and bought a record player.
The first record I bought was The Dream of Gerontius.  It was on two LPs, but I just bought the first one because I couldn't afford the second.
When we performed it in Berlin and I told them this story and said that if it appeared that I knew part one better than part two - that's the reason.
I don't know that they have - it's still the greatest music festival in the world.
I used to come up on the Metropolitan Line and Prom myself in the arena in my teens.
I suppose there's more variety of music now - there's jazz and world music, although there was always a lot of contemporary music - even in the old days.
It's always been an adventurous kind of programme that is all things to all music lovers.
Neville and I go back a long way. I was an organ scholar at Cambridge from 1963-67 and with the choir we used to do a lot of recording with [Marriner's] Academy of St Martin in the Fields.
When he got his Knighthood I asked him: "What's it like?   Does it make any difference?" And he said: "It's great for getting a good table in a restaurant!"
The Proms is something very special and it's very British, and it gets idiotically British on the Last Night.
When the Last Night loomed ahead of me, I'd look at it with a mixture of eager anticipation and total dread.
No, but I'll be nervous. People ask me if I still get nervous, and I say the day I don't get nervous I'll pack it in.
It's a huge responsibility bringing this wonderful music to life and I love it. I'm addicted to it.
Prom 1: First Night of the Proms is on Friday 18 July at 7.30pm on Radio 3, and on BBC Two and online.


The National Eisteddfod is considering scrapping the traditional Maes when the event visits Cardiff in 2018.

Chief executive Elfed Roberts said the organisation was in discussions about holding the cultural festival in buildings around the city centre, rather than on a temporary site.
Talks are ongoing with Cardiff council, with a final decision due in November.
The Maes is home to the pink pavilion and shops, performing spaces, art exhibition and food outlets.
"It's never been done before, though it has been mooted before by a number of people," Mr Roberts said.
"I think Cardiff is the best place to try and do it, and you can never tell until you try it, so we'll have a go."
The National Eisteddfod is not thought to be considering ditching the Maes permanently after its visit to Cardiff in 2018.
Mr Roberts said the eisteddfod had introduced a number of changes to the event in recent years and it was important to keep reviewing it.
"It would be the end of the festival if we started thinking 'we've arrived' and we don't have to do anything else," he added.


A prisoner who absconded from HMP Castle Huntly has been traced by police two weeks after he was reported missing.

James John Boyle failed to return to the open prison in Longforgan, near Dundee, on 9 February.
Police had warned the public not to approach the 24-year-old.
A Police Scotland spokeswoman said Boyle was arrested in the Glasgow area on Tuesday and will appear in court in due course.


Josh Taylor has taken inspiration from Scottish great Ken Buchanan before his super-lightweight title defence.

Commonwealth champion Taylor takes on South African Warren Joubert at Meadowbank on Friday.
"He gives me bits of advice - how to carry myself outside the gym as well as inside it," Taylor said of compatriot Buchanan.
"And [he gives me advice] on how to dedicate my life. You can't buy that experience."
The pair first met at the gym where Taylor started training as an amateur, and Buchanan recently tipped the southpaw to go all the way to a world title.
"I used to spend a lot of time with him in the gym, he still comes in," Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games gold medallist Taylor said of Buchanan.
"I see him all the time and have a chat with him every time he's in. He sees that I am dedicated and he gives me good advice every time he's in, which is brilliant."
Taylor, 26, saw off Alfonso Olvera in Las Vegas in January to maintain his unbeaten record, but should face a step up in class against Joubert, who has fought 35 times, losing on only four occasions.
The East Lothian boxer is, however, still hopeful of an early finish against the man nicknamed 'The Warrior'.
"If I can get him out of there in the first round I will, you don't get paid any overtime, but I don't think it's going to go that way," said Taylor. "I've trained for a hard fight so I'm expecting one and if it is a hard fight I'm more than ready for it.
"We'll put his character to the test on Friday, we'll put his chin to the test and we'll put his body to the test as well.
"I'm getting into the zone now, into fight mode. The training is all done now and I just want to get in there and get the job done."
Taylor said fighting in front of a home crowd will give him an extra 10-15% on the night but Joubert is unconcerned about the hostile atmosphere.
"The crowd might inspire Josh a bit but they can't get in the ring and fight for him, so it comes down to the two of us coming face-to-face," said Joubert, who believes the fight will be the biggest of his career so far.
"I am confident but I never want to be one of those fighters who are over-confident. I know I have a tough fight ahead. Josh is a good fighter but we haven't come here for a holiday, we've come for a fight and that's why they call me The Warrior - I'm ready for tough fights."
Joubert hopes to use his experience against the Scot, but admits the fight is about much more than minutes banked in the ring.
"At the end of the day it also comes down to ability," he added. "I believe my experience will play a part but I'm not short on ability either.
"We've put in the right preparation for the fight and are ready for it."


A humpback whale, thought to be a returning visitor for the third year, has appeared off Norfolk's coast.

Several whale watchers have reported spotting the mammal in waters about 2.5 miles (4km) off Winterton.
It was accompanied by gannets that were feeding on herrings, the same food source as the whale.
Norfolk cetacean recorder Carl Chapman was unable to get close enough to confirm whether it was the same whale that was seen over the past two years.
Mr Chapman said he was "ecstatic" to see the whale off the Norfolk coast.
"I watched if for about one-and-a-half hours," he said.
"I was trying to identify it from the undertail pattern, which is unique to each whale, but it never came close enough to do that.
"However, because it's turned up at the same time as it has done in the two previous consecutive years, it's probably the same returning individual making use of the same food source."
Lucy Babey, from charity ORCA, said the whale had been seen over five to six hours and was fluking - lifting its tail out of the water - regularly.
Humpback whales are seen more often on the European side of the North Sea, rather than on the UK side, she said.
The Sea Watch Foundation said there had been additional sightings off Sheringham, Hemsby and Horsey Gap, and also reports of minke whales seen from Trimingham, Mundesley and Happisburgh.


The UK Independence Party has written to The Queen to complain about being excluded from the Remembrance Sunday events at the Cenotaph in Westminster.

Mike Hookem, a UKIP MEP and ex-soldier, has urged the monarch to "intervene" on behalf of the 3.8 million people who voted for the party in May's election.
He said the UK's third largest party must be represented at national events.
Ministers said a 30-year old agreement stipulated that only leaders of parties with more than six MPs could take part.
UKIP won almost 12% of the national vote in May but only had one MP elected to Westminster.
Ahead of this Sunday's remembrance service, the party has written to Buckingham Palace appealing for UKIP's non-participation to be reviewed.
In his letter, Mr Hookem wrote: "I write to you as our Queen, asking for you to intervene on the part of over 3.8 million of your people to allow UKIP to have representation at the Cenotaph on 8 November as is right for the third most popular political party in the country."
Mr Hookem, who represents Yorkshire and the Humber in the European Parliament, has also demanded an explanation from Culture Secretary John Whittingdale, whose department is responsible for co-ordinating the invitations to the ceremony, as to why party leader Nigel Farage has not been asked to lay a wreath at the Cenotaph.
"It seems convenient the government can so easily dismiss the largest group of UK MEPs when it comes to including us in national events," he said.
In reply, Mr Whittingdale wrote: "The laying of wreaths by Parliamentary leaders is governed by a formula put in place in 1984 with the agreement of The Queen and the Speaker of the House of Commons following discussion with party leaders based on the number of Westminster parliamentary seats.
"This stipulates that only the leaders at Westminster of parties which had won and taken up six or more seats at the preceding general election should lay wreaths."
Under the formula, Plaid Cymru - which has three MPs - and the Green Party, which has a sole MP, are also excluded.
Mr Hookem, who served in both the RAF and the Army before being elected as an MEP, told the BBC he was unsatisfied with the explanation.
"This is wholly unfair and undemocratic," he said. "To say you need six MPs is ridiculous. We have every right to be there and stand shoulder to shoulder with the other party leaders."
When asked to provide documentary evidence of the 1984 agreement, the Department of Culture, Media and Sport was unable to do so.
A spokeswoman for Buckingham Palace said who was invited to the event was "a matter for the government".
Last month it emerged that this year's service would be shortened slightly to limit the time the Queen and veterans have to stand. However, plans for opposition party leaders to lay wreaths together, which had been mooted, were dropped.


In 1998, England's new footballing icon Michael Owen was named Sports Personality of the Year.

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The Liverpool teenager became an overnight star on the international stage, largely thanks to his performance and solo goal against Argentina at the 1998 World Cup finals in France.
He became England's youngest player and scorer, and ended the year as runner-up to Zinedine Zidane in the World Player of the Year awards.
Available to UK users only.
BBC Sports Personality of the Year 2015 is broadcast live from Belfast on Sunday, 20 December from 19:00 GMT on BBC One. Further coverage on BBC Sport's online platforms and Radio 5 live.


Defender Shay Logan has signed a new two-year deal with Aberdeen, keeping him at Pittodrie until 2018.

The 28-year-old former Manchester City defender joined the club, initially on loan, from Brentford in January 2014.
And he has been a regular in Derek McInnes's side over the past two-and-a-half seasons.
"I was always confident we could try and get there and get a deal done," McInnes told the Aberdeen website. "It is absolutely brilliant news."


Australia ended a six-match losing run with a 23-17 victory over South Africa in the Rugby Championship in Brisbane.

Warren Whiteley and Johan Goosen went over to give South Africa an early lead before an Adam Coleman try reduced the arrears to 14-13 at the break.
Eben Etzebeth was shown a yellow card for the visitors just after the restart then Bernard Foley scored a crucial try to seal a morale-boosting win.
Earlier on Saturday, New Zealand beat Argentina to stay top of the table.
The Wallabies, who stay bottom, eventually opened their account in this year's championship after back-to-back defeats by the All Blacks.
They have had their troubles since losing the World Cup Final to New Zealand at Twickenham in October.
A 3-0 series defeat to England and those defeats to New Zealand had put pressure on coach Michael Cheika.
Many Wallabies fans voted with their feet and the Suncorp Stadium was half empty as the Springboks heaped on further misery in the opening minutes.
Whiteley barged over for his third international try, then Goosen dived over after Adriaan Strauss intercepted a Quade Cooper punt.
There were boos around the stadium with the Wallabies trailing 14-3, but they were soon silenced as a high pass from Will Genia picked out Coleman who went over in the corner.
The home side carried the momentum into the second-half and Foley gave them the lead for the first time with a penalty after Etzebeth was sin-binned for a challenge.
Samu Kerevi thought he had gone over in the corner for the Wallabies but his knee was adjudged to have been in touch before he grounded the ball.
The Wallabies were now under the cosh and Foley gave the home side some breathing space when he dived over after a dummy pass.
Australia: Folau, Haylett-Petty, Kerevi, Foley, Hodge, Cooper, Genia, Pocock, Hooper, Mumm, Coleman, Douglas, Kepu, Moore, Sio. Replacements: Polota-Nau, Slipper, Alaalatoa, Arnold, McMahon, Phipps, Kuridrani, Mitchell.
South Africa: Goosen, Habana, Kriel, de Jongh, Hougaard; Jantjies, de Klerk; Whiteley, Mohoje, Louw, de Jager, Etzebeth, Adriaanse, Strauss, Mtawarira. Replacements: Mbonambi, Kitshoff, Nyakane, Mostert, du Toit, Kriel, Steyn, Mapoe.


South African rapper Tumi Molekane is as much a poet as he is a musician - and his thought-provoking lyrics are delivered with easy grace.

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28 September 2014 Last updated at 00:03 BST
For the BBC's Africa Beats series he has reunited with Mozambican guitarist Tiago Correia-Paulo, from his former group The Volume, to perform Signs.
He says the song was inspired by a cockroach in his kitchen, which he assumed had scuttled off into a crack in the wall.
"But then I started to think... what if this cockroach just disappeared? We always rationalise these things away."
His latest album, Rob the Church - made after a year travelling and performing around Africa and making the documentary Afrique - has a contemporary hip-hop sound, but the African influence is there in the shape of polyrhythms and Afrobeat syncopations.
More from Africa Beats


Bermuda international winger Reggie Lambe scored the only goal of the game as Carlisle condemned Plymouth to a third straight defeat this season.

The Pilgrims staged a late rally in vain after Carlisle had dominated for the first hour, with a man of the match display from Lambe as the home side held out well in injury time against the side that did the league double against them last season.
Carlisle's brisk opening had Plymouth on the back foot and Danny Grainger, finding space to come forward on the left, fizzed one 30-yard shot narrowly wide of Luke McCormick's left-hand post.
The defender was in action again when crossing accurately for Michael Raynes to direct a header just over from six yards.
Carlisle went ahead in the 37th minute when Plymouth's defence failed to clear another dangerous Grainger centre and Lambe drilled home a low right-footed shot from 15 yards for his second league goal of the season.
A pacey run and cross by Lambe almost set up Shaun Miller as Carlisle attempted to consolidate their superiority after the break.
Plymouth came more into the game in the later stages and ex-Carlisle loanee Jake Jervis, on as a substitute, might have done better with a 75th-minute header which flashed over the bar.
Grainger then came to the home side's rescue with a goalline clearance when Gary Miller looked sure to equalise for Pilgrims.
Report supplied by the Press Association.
Match ends, Carlisle United 1, Plymouth Argyle 0.
Second Half ends, Carlisle United 1, Plymouth Argyle 0.
Michael Jones (Carlisle United) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Jake Jervis (Plymouth Argyle).
Corner,  Carlisle United. Conceded by Yann Songo'o.
Corner,  Carlisle United. Conceded by Luke McCormick.
Connor Smith (Plymouth Argyle) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
Jamie Devitt (Carlisle United) wins a free kick on the left wing.
Foul by Connor Smith (Plymouth Argyle).
Foul by Luke Joyce (Carlisle United).
Ryan Donaldson (Plymouth Argyle) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Tom Miller (Carlisle United) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Foul by Connor Smith (Plymouth Argyle).
Corner,  Plymouth Argyle. Conceded by Nicky Adams.
Attempt blocked. Gary Miller (Plymouth Argyle) right footed shot from the centre of the box is blocked.
Attempt saved. Jake Jervis (Plymouth Argyle) left footed shot from the left side of the box is saved in the centre of the goal.
Substitution, Carlisle United. Jason Kennedy replaces Reggie Lambe.
Danny Grainger (Carlisle United) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Jake Jervis (Plymouth Argyle).
Attempt blocked. Jabo Ibehre (Carlisle United) right footed shot from the centre of the box is blocked.
Corner,  Carlisle United. Conceded by Yann Songo'o.
Attempt missed. Jake Jervis (Plymouth Argyle) header from the centre of the box is high and wide to the right.
Corner,  Plymouth Argyle. Conceded by Reggie Lambe.
Substitution, Carlisle United. Jamie Devitt replaces Charlie Wyke.
Substitution, Plymouth Argyle. Ryan Donaldson replaces Oscar Threlkeld.
Substitution, Plymouth Argyle. Jake Jervis replaces David Goodwillie.
Substitution, Carlisle United. Jabo Ibehre replaces Shaun Miller.
Foul by Shaun Miller (Carlisle United).
Yann Songo'o (Plymouth Argyle) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Danny Grainger (Carlisle United) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
Graham Carey (Plymouth Argyle) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Danny Grainger (Carlisle United).
Foul by Shaun Miller (Carlisle United).
Gary Miller (Plymouth Argyle) wins a free kick on the left wing.
Foul by Danny Grainger (Carlisle United).
James Spencer (Plymouth Argyle) wins a free kick on the right wing.
Foul by Reggie Lambe (Carlisle United).
Nauris Bulvitis (Plymouth Argyle) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Danny Grainger (Carlisle United) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Foul by James Spencer (Plymouth Argyle).


Liverpool head to Selhurst Park on Sunday, where they will revisit the scene of one of the most dramatic draws in their history.

Their last meeting with Crystal Palace - a 3-3 draw on Monday 5 May - could quite justifiably lay claim to being named game of the 2013-14 season. Perhaps more pertinently, it produced quite possibly the most important result of the campaign.
Liverpool went into the match on the same number of points as Manchester City at the top of the Premier League. Both teams had two games left but crucially, City had a superior goal difference of nine.
The Reds had an opportunity to go top when they visited Palace 24 hours before City next played, at home to Aston Villa.
Here, BBC Sport recalls the dramatic events which followed at Selhurst Park, with the help of Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers, his then Palace counterpart Tony Pulis, the Liverpool Echo's Anfield reporter James Pearce, ex-Leicester striker Steve Claridge who was a summariser for BBC Radio 5 live that night, and Reds supporter Nico Fleche.
James Pearce: "Going into the game, there was talk of Liverpool having to win but also score a lot of goals in doing so. The goal difference was nine and Brendan Rodgers had spoken about how he had not given up hope of turning round that deficit. Liverpool had been so free-scoring, with the firepower of Luis Suarez and Daniel Sturridge."
Nico Fleche: "We did believe we would win the title. We had that much momentum that we actually believed we could beat them [Manchester City] on goal difference."
Tony Pulis: "Don't forget, we were on a good run of form ourselves - we had won five out of our previous six matches. It was a great game to be involved in."
Steve Claridge: "I saw Liverpool at Cardiff a couple of months before the match at Palace and they were 2-1 down but won 6-3. They could have conceded six. It was all down to Luis Suarez and Daniel Sturridge that they won that game."
Liverpool opened the scoring after 18 minutes through Joe Allen. Palace then brought a couple of fine saves out of Liverpool goalkeeper Simon Mignolet while Suarez and Sturridge were a constant menace at the other end.
Pulis: "We had not conceded a goal from a set-play since I came to the club then Joe Allen, the smallest player on the pitch, scored with a header. If you looked at that Liverpool team, they scored a lot. Players like Suarez were a nuisance going forward but, at the back, I knew we could cause them problems. Their defence didn't look strong at times. If they were put under pressure, we had a chance."
Liverpool went into the break 1-0 up, having dominated possession with 12 shots on goal compared to Palace's three.
Brendan Rodgers: "Our objective was just to win the game - we said that at half-time, the message was clear… if it's 1-0, it's 1-0."
Pulis: "At half-time I had a go at my centre-halves, Scott Dann and Damien Delaney, for not getting tight enough to Suarez and Sturridge."
In the first 10 minutes of the second period, Liverpool scored twice in quick succession - Daniel Sturridge's low, deflected shot trickling past Julian Speroni and being credited as an own goal by Damien Delaney, before Suarez made it 3-0 to the visitors after a neat one-two with Raheem Sterling.
Pulis: "After the break, Delaney gets an own goal and Suarez scores. I just turned to one of my coaches, Dave Kemp, and said something along the lines of 'well, that half-time team talk worked'."
Pearce: "When the third goal went in, the players went to celebrate and quickly realised they needed to get the ball because there was still 35 minutes left. At that point, you kind of thought that Palace, who had nothing to play for, might just capitulate and it could become five, six or seven. Suddenly Rodgers's dream of turning that goal difference around could have happened."
Claridge: "They were now 3-0 up and had missed three or four other good chances, so they had every right to think about overturning that goal difference."
Fleche: "At 3-0, there was a genuine belief that we would go on and win 6-0 or even 7-0. After each goal, there was a lot of chanting which centred on 'attack, attack, attack'. Then it all went wrong."
Pulis sent on striker Dwight Gayle for Jason Puncheon after 65 minutes, the first of three attacking substitutions which also saw Glenn Murray and Tom Ince summoned from the bench. However, with 11 minutes left, it was defender Delaney who pulled one back for Palace with a deflected 25-yard shot.
Rodgers: "We got two quick goals after the break and maybe the excitement and enthusiasm to try and claw back the goal difference overtook us."
Pulis: "I felt if we scored, the pressure would build on Liverpool. Then, once we did score, the ascendency seemed to be with us because of our wonderful support. It's as if Liverpool opened the gates and we poured through them. We had nothing to lose. The goal lifted the lads and the stadium. We had momentum."
Pearce: "I'd love to say the alarm bells were ringing when Palace pulled one back but I thought it was purely a consolation. At 3-0 up with 11 minutes to go, Liverpool were cruising and they were pushing players forward in search of more goals. Once the first Palace goal went in, you thought that would kill the goal difference issue but the thing that struck me about that night was that the atmosphere was sensational in the last 10 minutes."
Claridge: "My main memory is that Liverpool continued to play in the same way, right from being 3-0 up to it being 3-3. It was bonkers to watch it."
Suddenly, Palace had momentum and substitute Gayle scored the hosts' second goal in two minutes when he swept into the back of the net from Yannick Bolasie's square pass. It was 3-2 to Liverpool with nine minutes of normal time to play...
Claridge: "I wasn't surprised Liverpool didn't tighten up because it's the way they played all season. I was disappointed in some of the senior pros who should have told the rest of the team to kill the game. They kept playing the same way even though they weren't dominating the game.
"The game had changed so all that needed to happen was for the full-backs not to run forward and the midfielders to sit. Get men behind the ball and Liverpool would have won the game. But nothing changed. Ultimately it was the manager's fault, he's the man who had to tell his players just to sit back for 10 minutes."
Fleche: "The tactics were right in that by scoring a lot of goals it would have put a lot of pressure on City. In hindsight, I think that was the only way we could have won the title. We had to go for it. When it got to 3-1 and 3-2, it wasn't to do with tactics, it was more a case of things going wrong quickly and the belief draining from the players who suddenly lost their confidence."
Liverpool's title hopes came crashing down around them when Gayle scored his second of the game with two minutes to go, the young striker latching on to a chest-down from a long ball and rifling past Simon Mignolet. 3-3.
Fleche: "The equaliser felt like the end of everything, like the season was over. It felt like all the pressure had been taken off City's shoulders."
Pearce: "It's still pretty vivid, and not one of my greatest nights in the job for many reasons - not least for having to file a match report on the final whistle for a game which gets transformed like that in the final 10 minutes."
Claridge: "Liverpool were a team who looked completely disorganised, like a team who were just rolling the dice."
Pearce: "Ironically, Liverpool went back to the top of the table that night, courtesy of that point, however everyone knew that was the night when the title race was decided."
Pulis: "Both Dwight Gayle and Victor Moses missed great chances to make it 4-3 for either side right at the end."
Pearce: "At the end, there were scenes of absolute devastation. Suarez was reduced to tears and Steven Gerrard was shooing the cameras away."
Fleche: "Everyone was deflated. There were some tears around and there was a television clip that went around of fans crying, which I'm on. I wasn't crying, I was consoling the others. There was a lot of silence, awkward looks and deflated faces."
Pulis: "There was a lap of honour after the game so I didn't see much of Brendan. I knew he would have been devastated and I did feel for my fellow manager.
"My overriding memory of that night is that lap of honour. Twenty minutes after the final whistle, no Palace supporter had left the ground. It turned out to be my final home game in charge."
Pearce: "I had 10 minutes to do my rewrite and, what made it worse was that the wifi went down in the press box. There were people all around me cursing because they couldn't send their copy through. After that I had another 45 minutes to do a more considered piece.
"In that time, we had to take in all of what we had just seen. It's very rare you get a night like that where the whole complexion of a season is transformed in the space of a few minutes. I remember one person saying it was like Istanbul in reverse, and it really was.
"We had two people at the game so I went down to the mixed zone to try and interview some players. Kolo Toure was the only person who stopped to speak to us and he very briefly answered a couple of questions. It was just a scene of absolute devastation."
Rodgers: "That night probably ended our hopes of winning it, but I was still incredibly proud of my players."
Pearce: "What happened at Chelsea a week earlier had handed the initiative to Manchester City, but the players knew it was that night at Selhurst Park when the final nail was put in the coffin. From putting City into a position where they had to win two home games, they suddenly only needed four points out of six. They knew a golden opportunity to end the club's 24-year wait for a league title had slipped from their grasp."
Claridge: "It was almost an underachievement not to win the league with a player like Suarez. I've never seen a player like him in the Premier League. Gareth Bale came close, but the impact he had on the season was just scary. Everything he did was just incredible.
"I didn't like Liverpool's system but they had two players [Suarez and Sturridge] who were unplayable. Together, their play beggared belief - I have never seen anything like it. But having a player like Suarez covered over a multitude of sins, and I think we are seeing that this season."


A replacement golf course for Torvean Golf Club is to be built in Inverness.

Highland Council have approved the plans for the facility, which will cost £7.5m.
The golf club has to be moved as part of plans to build the controversial new West Link road.
Inverness councillor Jimmy Grey said the move would make a big improvement to the course and bring major benefits to future generations.
The development will include a new clubhouse and the reshaping of a significant area of ground.
The existing course is on the route of the proposed £34m West Link road.
Using the land at Charleston would mean golfers no longer having to cross the A82 and General Booth Road when moving between holes.