The taoiseach (Irish prime minister) is expected to clarify his political future on Wednesday night after months of speculation that he is to step down.

Enda Kenny, who has been taoiseach for six years, is set to address questions over his leadership at a meeting of his Fine Gael parliamentary party later.
The 66-year-old has been under pressure to resign from factions within his own party dissatisfied with his leadership.
But his department has confirmed his travel plans as taoiseach for June.
Irish public service broadcaster, RTÃ‰, has reported that Mr Kenny will lead a two-day trade mission to the United States early next month.
It said he is also due to attend a World War One commemoration in Belgium as taoiseach in June.
Mr Kenny's leadership has been undermined after criticism of his handling of a series of scandals involving An Garda SÃochÃ¡na (Irish police).
A number of inquiries are under way, after allegations that senior officers tried to smear a whistleblower who raised concerns over corruption in how motorists' penalty points were being recorded.
In February, there had been speculation that Mr Kenny would face a motion of no confidence from his own party.
However, that was avoided after he said he would deal with the question of his leadership "effectively and conclusively" after the St Patrick's Day celebrations in March.
Irish media have been speculating for months on the leadership ambitions of his potential successors.


The number of police raids on commercial cannabis farms has dropped by more than 17% in the last year, Freedom of Information figures suggest.

The 22 police forces that responded in full reported a fall in farms identified from 2,038 to 1,689.
Drug researchers say cuts mean less money for complex investigations and specialist resources like helicopters.
The National Police Chiefs' Council says the drugs market is complex and the fall is due to a number of factors.
The new figures were obtained through Freedom of Information requests sent by the Victoria Derbyshire programme to all 45 police forces in the UK. Of the 22 forces that sent full replies, 16 reported a fall in raids and detections.
The Metropolitan Police recorded a drop from 203 to 140 farms identified from 2013/14 to 2014/15. Merseyside dropped from 613 to 504, Nottinghamshire from 162 to 124 and Humberside from 53 to 38.
There is no uniform definition of a commercial cannabis farm but it is described by the National Police Chiefs' Council (NPCC) as one with 25 plants or making use of sophisticated lights and hydroponic equipment.
The last official figures from the Association of Chief Police Officers (now the NPCC) showed the number of raids on commercial cannabis sites more than doubled between 2008 and 2012 as organised criminal gangs switched from importing the drug to growing it in the UK.
"Recent budget cuts appear to be reducing the amount of proactive policing that's going on," said Matthew Atha of the Independent Drug Monitoring Unit, who has worked as an expert witness in more than 1,000 cannabis-related cases.
"One of the main methods of detecting cannabis growers is police helicopters with infrared cameras and they cost a lot of money to keep in the air.
"Police are also less likely to be chasing the money in a network of financial dealers and investigating the people who are paying the principal targets."
The figures showing a fall in commercial cannabis raids come after Police and Crime Commissioner for Durham Ron Hogg said his force would stop arresting people growing the plant for their own use, while insisting it would continue to tackle commercial farms.
Ellis Corio was given a suspended sentence and community service at Norwich Crown Court earlier this year.
He started growing cannabis for his own use, gave some to friends, then met someone with criminal connections. He then rented a house where he started to grow the drug commercially to sell through dealers.
"You compare the sentencing you get for growing cannabis with other crimes - hard drugs, robbery -the kind of things people do to make a quick buck and it's very minimal for cannabis.
"The only real risk is getting robbed, because obviously you can't go to the police so you're an easy target - there's that element of danger.
"I respect most of the laws. But when you have someone telling you you can't do it and can't provide one decent argument other than the fact it's illegal, how are you meant to have respect for that?"
Last month, the chairwoman of the NPCC, Sara Thornton, also told the Victoria Derbyshire programme that police should prioritise organised crime gangs growing cannabis on "an industrial scale".
Ms Thornton previously served as chief constable of Thames Valley police when FOI data shows the number of commercial cannabis farms identified by her force fell from 97 in 2011/12 to 42 in 2014/15.
The NPCC is expected to publish new, official, research into the commercial cannabis market in September which, it says, will fully set out the nature and extent of the problem across the country.
It says the drugs market is complex and there are multiple factors that might explain the fall in cannabis farms identified by the police.
Changing tactics, for example, may mean organised criminals are hiding more cannabis factories underground to avoid police detection by helicopters fitted with heat-seeking cameras.
"We must acknowledge there has been a 25% reduction in funding for the police from the government over the course of the last five years," said Bill Jephson, the deputy chief constable of Hertfordshire Police and national lead on cannabis policing for the NPCC.
"That has meant that forces have to focus on the key public priorities and we must respond to what the threat is.
"I want to reassure the public that we will continue to target serious and organised crime gangs who cultivate cannabis on a commercial level."
A Home Office spokeswoman said: "The government expects police forces to investigate all crimes and to tackle the organised groups who try to profit from the trade in illicit drugs.
"There is no question that police still have the resources to do this important work."
Watch Victoria Derbyshire on weekdays from 09:15-11:00 BST on BBC Two and the BBC News Channel. Follow the programme on Facebook and Twitter, and find all our content online.


Some contractors avoid bidding for public sector contracts amid pressure to submit "suicidal" bids, according to an industry body.

The Scottish Building Federation said the cost of tendering for this work had risen by up to 50% over five years.
Its survey of firms suggested contracts were worth ??2bn, but contractors spent almost ??100m just to secure the work.
It said there were incidences where up to 30 firms would tender for work and up to 15 would be shortlisted.
Firms expected to spend about ??1,000 per ??1m on filling out questionnaires and a further ??3,700 per million to complete the process, it said.
The federation said there needed to be a financial incentive for public authorities to run a more efficient and cost-effective tender process.
The survey of 96 businesses was carried out in June.
Scottish Building Federation managing director, Vaughan Hart, said: "Even at the best of times, construction is not a high margin industry.
"If you consider that the cost of tendering for public sector contracts is now more than 4% of contract value, most contractors will be fulfilling these contracts at best at break even and at worst at a financial loss.
"With budgets as tight as they now are, public authorities are sharper than ever before on price.
"I know a number of contractors are actively avoiding the public sector market because they feel they'd have to make suicidal bids to secure the work."
Mr Hart said those in charge of public sector contracts needed to be encouraged to find ways to reduce tender costs, or to cut the number of shortlisted companies.
He added that enforcement of a standard pre-qualification questionnaire would help to reduce public procurement costs further.
The Scottish government is carrying out a review into construction procurement ahead of new legislation to reform the process.
A spokesman said: "Scottish ministers are listening to the concerns of industry.
"This is one of the reasons why the deputy first minister has set up an independent review of the way in which the public sector carries out the procurement of construction works.
"We understand that the review is aware of these issues, and we look forward to receiving their recommendations."


The investigation into Tuesday's head-on train crash in southern Italy that killed 23 people is focusing on the antiquated alert system on the line.

They are looking into one of the black boxes recovered at the scene of the collision, on a remote single-track line north of the city of Bari.
The system relied on telephone calls and "human error" remains the main line of inquiry, reports say.
Dozens of rescue workers are still searching the wreckage.
The inquiry is focusing on the lack of automatic signalling system on a small part of the Italian railway network.
The stretch of track between the towns of Andria and Corato  in the southern region of Apulia where the crash happened did not have an automatic alert or brake system.
It relies on station masters phoning one another to advise of trains running on the single track.
"Surely one of the two trains shouldn't have been there," railway police Cdr Giancarlo Conticchio is quoted as saying by the Associated Press news agency.
"And surely there was an error. We need to determine the cause of the error," Mr Conticchio said.
The collision took place in good weather at 11:30 local time (09:30 GMT) as the trains were travelling at high speed between the towns of Bari and Barletta.
Both trains had four carriages.
Local officials said it was difficult to say how many people were on board the train at the time as there was no list.
Fifteen people are being treated in hospital for their injuries, and some of them remain in a critical condition. Officials initially put the number of dead at 27 but local authorities said later that 23 people had been killed.
Most passengers had no warning of the impending disaster which one witness compared to a plane crash.
One woman, eight months pregnant, described the moment of impact,.
"I was thrown forward, I don't know what happened, it all happened so quickly. I saw my mother on the ground, my father and my sister bleeding. The people on the train helped us."
One elderly man said he was knocked to the ground, while his wife described how she came across body parts as she freed him.
"I pulled him from under the debris, myself barefoot, from under the debris and metal," she told local TV. "I went to my husband screaming. I pulled him by the legs and feet. I climbed past people in pieces, how sad. There was nothing I could do."'
Cranes and heavy lifting equipment have been clearing the wreckage. The army is helping the operation.
Relatives of the victims are going to the mortuary in Bari to help to identify the dead.
Italian PM Matteo Renzi visited the site on Tuesday and promised a full investigation. He described the death toll as unacceptable.
November 2012: Six people believed to be Romanian farm workers are killed after a van they were travelling in is struck by a train as it crosses railway tracks in Calabria
June 2009: Freight train carrying liquefied petroleum gas derails in Viareggio, causing a large explosion. More than 30 people die
January 2005: A head-on collision between a passenger and a freight train near Crevalcore kills 17
July 2002: A passenger train derails in Rometta Messina, killing eight people
April 1978: Two trains collide near a ravine next to Murazze Vado. Some of the carriages fall into the gorge, killing 42
Sources: Ansa, Corriere della Sera


Scottish Renewables has criticised UK ministers for "uncertainty" over whether wind farms and solar projects will get continued government support.

The industry body said these were the cheapest renewable energy sources, but they were losing out on subsidy.
It was responding to plans to phase out electricity from coal in Britain within 10 years.
Energy Secretary, Amber Rudd, said it was right to withdraw subsidy as technologies became established.
Ms Rudd has signalled government support for more gas-fired and nuclear power stations.
She also said there would be backing for offshore wind power, on condition that it continues to reduce costs.
But the minister did not give the detail the industry has sought on the pricing regime for renewable power.
The UK government controls how much subsidy is directed to different technologies, though customer bills.
As costs fall and those technologies get closer to being viable on their own, subsidy is being withdrawn.
In the case of onshore wind power, that is happening sooner than previously planned, and solar subsidy has been sharply cut back.
In her speech, Amber Rudd said: "Subsidy should be temporary, not part of a permanent business model.
"Most importantly, new, clean technologies will only be sustainable at the scale we need if they are cheap enough.
"When costs come down, as they have in onshore wind and solar, so should support. For instance, we have enough onshore wind in the pipeline to meet our 2020 expectations. That is why we set out in our manifesto that we would end any new public subsidy for onshore wind farms.
"The costs of solar have come down too. Over 8GW of solar is already deployed and even with the costs controls we have proposed we expect to have around 12GW in place by 2020."
However, the industry has been complaining that government policy has left investors in the dark about the returns they can expect, and that is putting a halt on growth that the industry requires to see if it is to hit government energy targets.
Niall Stuart, chief executive of Scottish Renewables, commented: "It appears that the secretary of state is bending over backwards to highlight the benefits of gas-fired and nuclear power, whilst overstating the challenges of increasing our renewable energy capacity.
"It is right that we get coal off the system but there is no mention of gas already being the UK's main source of carbon emissions, the cost of nuclear power being significantly more expensive than onshore wind and solar, nor the challenges of managing large and inflexible nuclear power plants.
"With the promise of future support for gas, nuclear and offshore wind, it is totally unclear if there is any future for investment in onshore wind and solar, despite the fact that these are the cheapest forms of renewable power available."
He said major projects off Scotland's shores had been "left in limbo for another 12 months", while the minister had failed to make any mention of wave and tidal energy, or the challenge of shifting heating to renewable energy sources.
Meanwhile, Scottish Power has announced it is submitting a planning application for a new phase of a very large wind farm off the coast of Suffolk.
East Anglia THREE would have 172 turbines and capacity of 1,200MW, which could power 850,000 homes.
Keith Anderson, chief executive of the Spanish-owned company, said: "The offshore wind industry in the UK now benefits from more powerful and more efficient turbines.
"We have better vessels, more experience of working offshore, a healthier supply chain, a growing engineering skills base, increased capability to export our products and expertise around the globe, as well as ever increasing investment in UK infrastructure.
"All of these factors mean that costs are reducing quickly, and large projects are achievable."


Connacht made it five wins in a row in all competitions by beating the Ospreys in Galway and extending their lead at the top of the Pro12 to six points.

Bundee Aki and AJ MacGinty scored early tries for the hosts, with the league's leading scorer Matt Healy adding a third touchdown after the interval.
Ben John and Dan Baker crossed for the visitors before the break, while Rhys Webb added his side's third try.
The Ospreys were going for a fourth straight win in the competition.
In the end, they left the Sportsground empty-handed and lie seventh in the table, with a lot of work to do to make the play-offs.
Connacht flew out the blocks and, after they spread the ball through the backs, Aki went over inside the first minute and Craig Ronaldson converted.
But Sam Davies didn't have to wait long to hit back for the visitors, who were awarded a penalty at the breakdown, and he duly made it 7-3 from the tee.
The hosts returned with interest but when Tiernan O'Halloran was dragged into touch inside their own 22 after 10 minutes, the Ospreys had a chance to clear their lines.
Ben Marshall had other ideas, though, stealing the lineout before Niyi Adeolokun made a sharp break and fed MacGinty to score, Ronaldson slotting the extras from by the touchline.
The game's flying start was not over, however, and before the quarter-hour mark Ospreys had their first try, John crossing over after a quick-tap penalty.
The conversion bounced back off a post but just 10 minutes later they were ahead, Baker dotting down after waves of Ospreys attacks and Davies' extras making it 15-14.
Ronaldson - on his 50th Connacht appearance - restored the lead with a penalty shortly before the half-hour mark and that was the way it stayed until the break, despite the Irish province pressing for a third try in the half's closing stages.
Connacht showed their intent by kicking a string of early second-half penalties to the corner but Rodney Ah You spilt the ball forward and the Welshmen cleared their lines.
It was another stolen Ospreys lineout that set up Connacht's third try, Daniel Qualter the thief before Ronaldson fed Healy to spin away from his tackler and score.
Ronaldson converted but just three minutes later Rhys Webb flew between the Connacht posts to reduce the deficit, Davies' conversion making it 24-22.
A Ronaldson penalty eased the gap to five points and Davies thought he had wiped it out altogether on 65 minutes only for the TMO to rule double movement.
Ronaldson made it eight from the tee, after a superb Aki break had taken Connacht out of their own 22 and into Ospreys territory, before Ospreys wasted a golden opportunity.
Olly Cracknell was hauled down shy of the whitewash but, when the ball was recycled, Webb's pass couldn't find either of the players waiting on the blind side with a clear passage to the line.
Connacht: Tiernan O'Halloran; Niyi Adeolokun, Bundee Aki, Craig Ronaldson, Matt Healy; AJ MacGinty, Caolin Blade; Denis Buckley, Tom McCartney, Rodney Ah You, George Naoupu, Aly Muldowney, Sean O'Brien, Jake Heenan, John Muldoon (capt).
Replacements: Robb for Ronaldson (75), Marmion for Blade (32), Loughney for Buckley (71), Heffernan for McCartney (73), Bealham for Ah You (58), Qualter for Marshall (41), Connolly for Naoupu (62).
Not Used: Poolman.
Ospreys: Dan Evans; Jeff Hassler, JJ Engelbrecht, Josh Matavesi, Ben John; Sam Davies, Rhys Webb; Paul James (capt), Sam Parry, Dmitri Arhip, James King, Rory Thornton, Joe Bearman, Olly Cracknell, Dan Baker.
Replacements: Watkin for Engelbrecht (6), Walker for John (67), Leonard for Webb (72), Thomas for James (64), Otten for Parry (61), Jarvis for Arhip (52), Bernardo for Bearman (52).
Not Used: Collier.
Referee: George Clancy (IRFU)
Assistant referees: Andy Brace, John Carvill (IRFU)
Citing commissioner: Tim Lowry (IRFU)
TMO: Jude Quinn (IRFU)


Former Prime Minister David Cameron has overruled civil service advice so his special advisers get severance pay worth a total of £282,000.

An exchange of letters between senior civil servants shows the ex-PM was advised against the extra payments, but pressed ahead because the advisers were suddenly losing their jobs.
Mr Cameron resigned as PM on Wednesday.
Unions said it was "astonishing hypocrisy" while the rest of the civil service faced cuts in redundancy terms.
The letters between the chief executive of the civil service, John Manzoni, and Mr Cameron's Principal Private Secretary, Simon Case, have been published on the Gov.UK website.
In his letter, Mr Manzoni said special advisers - temporary civil servants who work directly for ministers and are able to provide more political advice than their Whitehall colleagues - were entitled to four and a half months of pay when they lost their jobs.
"I do not believe there is a case for awarding higher sums than those for which the contract allows," he wrote.
"Legal advice supports this position, and lawyers have been clear that awarding a further month's salary for special advisers in this position would constitute a payment above the contractual entitlement.
"My strong advice is that we continue to abide by the provisions in their contracts of employment."
He said Mr Cameron's decision would increase Number 10's severance pay bill by £282,892, taking it from £747,045 to £1,029,938, and set a precedent across all government departments which could lead to a further 30 special advisers getting the same deal.
He asked for a "written direction" to authorise the higher payments, equivalent to six months' pay, and said it could lead to an investigation by the Commons Public Accounts Committee.
In his response, sent the day Mr Cameron was replaced as prime minister by Theresa May, Mr Case said the then PM wanted to proceed with the payments for special advisers, who were reappointed after last year's election.
Explaining Mr Cameron's decision, he said: "He is conscious that the situation they find themselves in is through no fault of their own.
"The termination of their employment has been sudden and unexpected, and he does not wish to exacerbate an already difficult and uncertain time for them by inferring that their long and loyal service is not fully recognised."
Mr Case said Mr Cameron did want the six months rule to be applied across government.
The FDA union, which represents senior public service mangers, said it was "an astonishing act of hypocrisy from Cameron, increasing redundancy pay for his special advisers whilst in the middle of cutting redundancy terms for the rest of the civil service.
"It sends a clear message about who he valued most."
The Public and Commercial Services Union said it was a "stunning last act of cronyism".
Mr Cameron had been expected to step down in September, but the Conservative leadership contest suddenly ended when Andrea Leadsom pulled out, leaving Theresa May as the only contender.
The PM then announced he would step down within days.


An old, frail-looking man sits slouched on a floor, a television remote control in his hand.

He strokes his grey beard and rocks gently as he watches himself on the screen.
The man is Osama Bin Laden, captured on a tape that the US government says Navy Seals brought back with them from their mission in Abbottabad.
The Pentagon describes the results of the raid, during which US soldiers killed the world's most wanted man, as "the largest trove of information ever obtained from a single source".
The Pentagon, obviously, has a complete monopoly over the information, and is choosing what it wants the public to see very carefully.
No audio, no context and no explanation have been provided for the choice of clips that the Pentagon decided to release, nor was there any other information about whether or not they have any further footage.
Tarnished image
But, by showing a frail and weak Bin Laden, the US is undoubtedly trying to tarnish the image of the al-Qaeda leader in the eyes of his supporters around the world.
The five clips released by Pentagon on Saturday prove more that it possesses such material, rather than that it is a source of new information.
They show a more familiar Osama Bin Laden sitting against a plain background, speaking straight into the camera, his face lively and animated.
It is the same man who often issued video statements both to his enemies and supporters, although in three of the video clips he is rehearsing rather than delivering the actual speeches.
Command and control
The clips offer no major revelations, but the US government says that other data in their hands proves that, until the day he died, Bin Laden was in charge of al-Qaeda operations and that his compound in Abbottabad was a control-and-command centre for the organisation.
The Pentagon says that "the largest collection of terrorist material ever" also reveals what US counter-terrorism officials have been trying to establish for years - the role that Osama Bin Laden played in the operations of regional affiliates of his organisation, such as the Yemen-based al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula.
Having for years assumed that the organisation operated for the most part independently, Pentagon officials now say that Bin Laden did play a significant role in its activities.
If true, his death could be a big blow to a group which sent the so-called "underpants bomber" to blow up a plane over Detroit, and which Washington views as the biggest threat to its homeland security.
The Pentagon does not explain details of how, if at all, material gathered in Pakistan will affect the US fight against al-Qaeda elsewhere.
While Mr Obama got his man, plenty more remain on the wanted list - including Anwar al-Awlaki, a US-born cleric based in Yemen whom the Pentagon has described as more dangerous than even Bin Laden.
On Thursday, less than a week after Bin Laden's death, the US launched a drone strike on a remote area of Yemen in a suspected attempt to kill Mr Awlaki. Sources in Yemen confirm that the attack took place but say that only two low-ranking militants were killed.
It is not clear whether the drone attack was linked to information found in Bin Laden's compound but the timing is certainly interesting.
The US drone strike infuriated hundreds of thousands of demonstrators in Yemen, who have been calling for the resignation of Washington's ally in its war on terror - President Ali Abdullah Saleh.
Protesters there accuse Mr Saleh of allowing the attack in exchange for support that he desperately needs.


A Holyrood committee is recommending a bill to extend the boundaries of the Pentland Hills regional park is rejected.

The MSP for Midlothian South, Tweeddale and Lauderdale, Christine Grahame, wants to increase the size of the park.
The park currently covers just 45% of the Pentland hills range.
The committee said there was little demand for the move and changing the boundaries would lead to an increased financial burden on councils.
James Dornan, Scottish Parliament's Pentland Hills Regional Park Boundary Bill Committee convener, said: "There is no doubt Christine Grahame is passionate about protecting the landscape of the Pentland hills for future generations.
"However, we are not convinced extending the Regional Park would give this protection.
"It was clear from the evidence given by local authorities that, far from being a simple line on a map, they were concerned the extension could place a very real financial burden on those local authorities involved in the maintenance of the Regional Park, which could see funding spread even more thinly.
"For a park which plays such an important role in the lives of many people, to do so would have a damaging impact.
"That is why we have decided that we cannot support the general principles of the bill."
Ms Grahame said: "I am of course very disappointed that the Pentland Hills Regional Park Boundary Bill Committee came to the conclusion that it did not support the general principles of my bill.
"There is a need to protect the whole of the Pentland Hills range and I had hoped that the committee would agree with me that this was a role for us, as politicians.
"I am pleased that the committee recognises the difficulties that local authorities will face in meeting the aims of the Pentland Hills Regional Park in the coming years and the acknowledgement that the introduction of this bill has created a focus on those difficulties."


Steve Smith's century and a dreadful England batting collapse handed Australia total control of the fifth Ashes Test at The Oval.

The tourists' captain-in-waiting, who was caught off a Steven Finn no-ball on 92, went on to score 143 and propel his team to an imposing 481 all out.
England then crumbled on a largely blameless pitch, losing seven wickets during a disastrous final session to close the second day on 107-8.
Peter Siddle and Mitchell Marsh justified their recalls by sharing five wickets, while Nathan Lyon found some turn to bowl Alastair Cook and Jos Buttler.
In keeping with a series in which batsmen from both sides have been reckless under pressure, some of England's shot selection beggared belief as Adam Lyth, Jonny Bairstow and Ben Stokes all top-edged needless pull shots.
England have already regained the Ashes after assuming an unassailable 3-1 lead with victories at Cardiff, Edgbaston and Trent Bridge.
But a heavy defeat in the final Test would both dampen their spirits and give Australia a huge lift at the end of a difficult series.
Despite their resounding series win, England's top order has been a constant weakness that Australia's bowlers were once again able to exploit.
There was no obvious sign of imminent collapse as Cook and Lyth eased England to 30-0. But on the stroke of tea, a delivery from Nathan Lyon turned out of the rough and rattled into Cook's off stump.
England's post-tea capitulation began when Lyth went after Siddle's second ball and skied a catch to mid-on.
The Yorkshire opener has only scored 105 runs in eight innings and will surely need a big score in the second innings to have any chance of retaining his place this winter.
Ian Bell and Joe Root both fell to good deliveries but it was not long before England's batsmen were bringing about their own demise.
Bairstow took Mitchell Johnson's bait as he pulled a short ball to deep square leg, and after Jos Buttler had been bowled through the gate by Lyon, Stokes thrashed at a Marsh lifter and gifted a simple catch to a backtracking Peter Nevill.
Stuart Broad then edged his fourth ball to slip to leave England's innings in tatters.
England's dismal batting display actually followed a much-improved bowling performance in which they removed Australia's last seven wickets for 194 runs.
The biggest obstacle was Smith, whose 11th Test century underlined why he has been chosen to succeed Clarke as Australia captain following the Ashes.
In this series so far, Smith has embodied Australia's fluctuating fortunes. He made an imperious 215 in the victory at Lord's, but contributed four single-figure scores as Australia surrendered the Ashes in the successive three-day defeats at Edgbaston and Trent Bridge.
Here he was back to his belligerent best, cutting and pulling regular boundaries against an England attack struggling to find consistent lines.
He added 146 with Adam Voges and 91 with Mitchell Starc, who scored an entertaining 58 at number nine to help Australia rally from 376-7 after two quick wickets from Moeen Ali before lunch.
Moeen, Stokes and Finn all captured three wickets - with the latter collecting his 100th Test scalp when he dismissed Marsh.
With Australia seemingly set for a lead of more than 350 and rain forecast for Sunday, Clarke may consider changing the habit of a lifetime by enforcing the follow-on and raising the prospect of a three-day win. He has had the opportunity four times, and declined each time.
Regardless of his decision, England's batting approach will require a sea change to give them any chance of avoiding ending the series in defeat.
England pace bowler Steven Finn: We're disappointed, we've had a very, very poor day. Australia batted well then showed us how to bowl.
"It's not a 107-8 pitch. It's a good wicket, but Australia have got more out of it than we did. We didn't bowl well, but not badly either. We have to fight tomorrow."
Australia batsman Steve Smith: "That's the best we've bowled all series, we created pressure, made them earn their runs and got eight wickets, so it speaks for itself. There's enough there in the wicket if you hit the right spot.
"I couldn't get in a real rhythm for my first 20 runs but the more time you spend out there, it gets easier. It was part of my game plan to wait for balls to hit."
Watch every episode of Pint-sized Ashes
Listen to Jonathan Agnew and Geoffrey Boycott review each day on the TMS podcast.


Allied and German trench systems from World War One are to be reconstructed in a Glasgow park.

The Heritage Lottery Fund has provided Â£99,600 to create the "Digging In" trenches in Pollok Country Park.
Work will begin in August and the trenches will be open to the public on 19 September during Doors Open Week.
A programme of public events and school visits, where there will be hands-on learning activities and history events, will be held until November 2018.
The reconstructions will be informed by field manuals that were issued to troops, as well as soldiers' diaries and evidence from excavations on the Western Front.
Their location in Pollok Country Park will highlight the role of Pollok House in World War One, from its use as an auxiliary hospital for convalescing soldiers to the memorial commemorating the 58 people from the estate who served in the conflict.
The programme of events aim to convey how soldiers managed to survive in the hostile environment of the Western Front and the conflict's impact on communities on the Home Front.
The trenches will also act as a hub for learning about the war's impact on mental health, the role of women, advances in medicine, technology, aerial photography and mapping, influences on contemporary art and literature, and the origins of the Forestry Commission.
The work is being carried out through a partnership between Northlight Heritage, Glasgow City Council, the University of Glasgow and Stewart's Melville College.
Dr Tony Pollard, director of the Centre for Battlefield Archaeology at the University of Glasgow, said:  "As a conflict archaeologist who has excavated trenches and graves on the Western Front, I know it is impossible to step back in time and fully appreciate what it was like to have been there during the Great War.
"But I am really looking forward to Digging In, and applying what I have learned in helping to create a unique learning environment, within which it will be possible for children and adults alike to get a visceral insight into the semi-subterranean world in which soldiers lived and in so many cases died."
Glasgow's Lord Provost Sadie Docherty said: "Digging In is destined to become a huge attraction because we will be recreating, as authentically as possible, the incredibly difficult conditions our military had to endure.
"I'm confident it will have a huge impact on everyone who visits and help highlight the futility of war. Above all, I want as many people as possible to reflect, 100 years later, on the courage and suffering of everyone affected by the conflict.
"Countless stories of personal sacrifice and trauma punctuate the period. It's important we do not forget the profound effect the Great War had on the world."


Ex-BBC DJ Jimmy Savile sexually assaulted victims aged five to 75 in NHS hospitals over decades of unrestricted access, investigators say.

He assaulted patients in bed, and claimed to have abused corpses, reviews into his conduct on NHS premises found.
The reports cover 28 hospitals including Leeds General Infirmary and Broadmoor psychiatric hospital.
Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt apologised to victims, saying Savile's actions "will shake our country to the core".
Savile, a Radio 1 DJ who also presented the BBC's Top Of The Pops and Jim'll Fix It, died aged 84 in October 2011 - a year before allegations that he had sexually abused children were broadcast in an ITV documentary.
The reports on Leeds General Infirmary and Broadmoor are detailed and, at times, graphic.
They explain how Savile was allowed unsupervised access to vulnerable patients, with a failure to question the risks of his unconventional and promiscuous lifestyle.
The Leeds investigation found:
Mr Hunt told the Commons one victim being treated at Leeds General Infirmary feared she was pregnant after being abused.
There were also reports that Savile made jewellery out of glass eyes taken from dead bodies from the hospital mortuary, he told MPs.
Sixty people have recounted how they were abused by Savile at Leeds General Infirmary, many were young people and teenagers.
One victim "Jane" - who was 16 when she was assaulted - told the BBC Savile took her to a local shop to buy sweets and magazine, but soon afterwards sexually assaulted her in a hospital basement.
"He pulled me in immediately and started to kiss me with his tongue", she said.
"At the same time his left hand went on to my right thigh under my dress."
"There was no conversation up until that point. I couldn't have said anything even if I'd wanted to, because he had his tongue in my mouth, which wasn't pleasant".
After the assault she said she felt "dirty and ridiculously stupid". She said she began to tell nurses about the incident but when they laughed felt she couldn't finish.
"All the staff accepted it, patients accepted it, clearly the porters accepted it as well."
Mr Hunt apologised on behalf of the government and the NHS, saying of the victims: "We let them down badly."
The health secretary said there was a "deep sense of revulsion" over the findings.
By Nick TriggleHealth correspondent
Why the NHS must heed the lessons of Savile
He added: "As a nation, at that time we held Savile in our affection as a somewhat eccentric national treasure with a strong commitment to charitable causes.
"Today's report shows that in reality he was a sickening and prolific sexual abuser who repeatedly exploited the trust of a nation for his own vile purposes."
Mr Hunt is writing to all NHS trusts asking them to ensure they are confident about patient safety.
A spokesman for Prime Minister David Cameron said he was "deeply shocked", adding it was "important lessons are learned".
The Leeds report was clear that no one person is to blame for what happened at the hospital other than Savile. But it did describe a lack of curiosity about his activities.
Lesley McLean, Victim Support manager for West Yorkshire, said: "The parents of the children [Savile] abused in Leeds hospitals were already anxious about their child's health.
"What they thought was a treat for their loved one was actually their worst nightmare."
Leeds Teaching Hospitals Trust issued a statement apologising to "each and every one of Savile's victims".
"There should have been far more scrutiny of him and what he was doing at our hospitals over the years, and more robust safeguards and internal controls in place to protect our staff and patients in our care," chief executive Julian Hartley said.
In 1988, Savile was appointed by the Department of Health as the head of a taskforce overseeing Broadmoor.
The report describes an inappropriate culture at Broadmoor that allowed sexual liaisons between staff and patients and discouraged reporting of concerns.
The Broadmoor report found:
The report said the numbers were very likely to be an underestimate of the true picture because so many former patients simply wished to forget their time at Broadmoor.
Noami Stanley, a psychiatric nurse who treated patients who told her they had been abused by Savile at Broadmoor, said police and senior medical staff dismissed her concerns as an "irritation".
She told BBC Radio 4's World at One: "I explained what I heard and what I believed was going on in Broadmoor.
"There was a pair of police officers who appeared surprised and looked immediately to my superiors as if to say 'do something about this woman, she's nuts'."
She said of the senior nursing officer present: "He gave me quite a severe ticking office and said if I ever ever spoke out of turn like that again I would receive a disciplinary and might get sacked."
Marjorie Wallace - now chief executive of the charity Sane - also visited the hospital regularly in the 1980s when she was researching a book.
She said there was "obviously something sinister" about the DJ and attempted to raise the alarm after witnessing his treatment of two female patients: "I went to the Department of Health and said 'What is Jimmy Savile doing here?"
But she says she was told Savile was bringing Broadmoor out of the "dark ages" and that he was a "good person, liberating this closed institution".
Labour's Andy Burnham said giving Savile "gold-plated keys" to the hospital was "one of the greatest failures in public protection and patient safety we've ever seen".
The shadow health secretary called for an over-arching, independent inquiry into the scandal.
"It would appear Savile was appointed to this role without any background checks at all," he told the BBC. "There needs to be more independent scrutiny of how the government of the day handled this."
Reports have been issued on: St Catherine's Hospital (Birkenhead);  Saxondale Mental Health Hospital; Portsmouth Royal Hospital; Dewsbury and District Hospital (including Pinderfields Hospital); High Royds Psychiatric Hospital; Cardiff Royal Infirmary; Great Ormond Street Hospital; Exeter Hospital; Ashworth Hospital; Barnet General Hospital;  Booth Hall;  De La Pole Hospital; Dryburn Hospital; Hammersmith Hospital; Leavesden Secure Mental Health Hospital; Marsden Hospital; Maudsley Hospital; Odstock Hospital; Prestwich Psychiatric Hospital; Queen Victoria Hospital, East Grinstead; Royal Victoria Infirmary; Queen Mary's Hospital, Carshalton; Whitby Memorial Hospital; Wythenshawe Hospital, and Woodhouse Eaves Children's Convalescent Homes in Leicester.
A report about Wheatfield's Hospice, which is run by the Sue Ryder charity, has also been released.
Leicestershire Police has launched an investigation after one victim of Savile, who was abused as a young boy at a children's convalescent home in Woodhouse Eaves, told an enquiry team the entertainer was involved in the death of another child.
However, no reference to a child's death could be found in the records of the home, Roecliffe Manor, which closed in 1969.
Since the allegations about Jimmy Savile came to light, the police have looked into how many victims there may have been. A review of why he was never prosecuted has also been carried out.
But this is the most comprehensive account of how he was able to offend and get away with it for so long.
Reviews into his behaviour at the BBC and care homes are expected later this year - and will no doubt shed even more light on the scandal.
But for now the failings of the NHS - an institution that is there to care for the vulnerable - are in the spotlight.
He enjoyed unsupervised access, particularly at two sites, Leeds General Infirmary and Broadmoor psychiatric hospital, and was able to use his fame to intimidate junior staff.
What is more, senior management were too unquestioning.
The reports are loathe to blame individuals.
But with cases of abuse and improper conduct being reported up until 2009 - albeit much less frequently than in the 1960s and 1970s - the NHS has a lot of soul-searching to do.
A key report into Savile's activities at Stoke Mandeville Hospital has been delayed after new information recently came to light.
Savile had a bedroom at Stoke Mandeville, where his now-defunct charitable trust was based, as well as an office and living quarters at Broadmoor.
Reports concerning two other hospitals - Rampton and Barnet, Enfield and Haringey Mental Health Trust - have also been delayed.
There are also new investigations at Springfield Hospital and Crawley Hospital.
It is understood investigations at two hospitals - the Royal Free Hospital in London and Pennine Acute NHS hospitals Trust - found nothing to report.
The revelations made in a 2012 ITV documentary about Savile prompted more than 100 people to come forward, giving accounts of how they were sexually assaulted by Savile on NHS premises and in other places.
A report by the NSPCC said Savile abused at least 500 victims, including some as young as two.
BBC health reporter Pippa Stephens said there have been many significant changes in the law since the time Savile committed abuse.


Flags will be at half-mast for three days from Friday, after the murder in Algeria of hostage Herve Gourdel.

The gesture - ordered by President Francois Hollande - shows how this killing marks new ground in the war against jihadism.
There have been previous murders of French hostages in north and east Africa. Since 2010, nine have been killed by Islamists in Mali and Somalia.
But Herve Gourdel's is the most disturbing.
Partly that is because of the manner of his death: the cold-blooded beheading staged for the camera.
And partly it is because it feels like a step in a terrible chain of events, leading inexorably from horror to horror.
Across France, if one discounts the predictable pronouncements from officialdom, the reaction has been mostly one of numbed silence.
Even in Saint-Martin-Vesubie, the mountain village near Nice where Herve Gourdel lived, local people have reacted to journalists' questions in monosyllables.
They are not being rude. They just do not know how to express their horror and anger.
After the first French air raids on Islamic State (IS) a week ago - and then the group's explicit threat to target French nationals - the possibility that the war could move closer to home became suddenly tangible.
On Tuesday, the government issued a warning to the French - especially those living abroad - to be on their guard.
And then on Wednesday, Herve Gourdel was beheaded. Events moved so quickly that people are struggling to comprehend what it means.
For many in France, the murder is all the more shocking because Herve Gourdel was precisely the kind of person that they instinctively admire.
With his craggy, outdoor-philosopher looks; his independence; his love of mountains and photography; his love of travel and openness to other cultures; his attachment to roots and family - he represented a kind of idealised self-image for the French.
Journalists - who saw the original video in which he announced his capture - say he spoke with a quite uncanny calm, another cause for respect.
As President Hollande said, Herve Gourdel was killed for no other reason than that he was French.
And the French will see his death - more clearly perhaps than those of previous hostages - as a direct assault on the values they hold dear.
In Paris, the president has now called for security to be boosted on public transport and in public buildings.
The Vigipirate patrol system remains at its second-highest level, and soldiers are more visible around tourist spots and railway stations.
There is no outward display of fear. But deep down everyone knows France is entering a period of nervous uncertainty such as has not been seen for many years.
Britain is exposed in the same way, of course. It, too, is in the fight against Islamic State (though it has yet to launch air strikes) and it, too, has nationals who have joined the jihad.
But France feels in the grip of the unknown.  The Middle East and North Africa have never felt so dangerous.  And they have never felt so close.


Northern Ireland's stand-in health minister Simon Hamilton has said he will examine a ruling by Europe's highest court on gay men giving blood.

The European Court of Justice ruled that a lifetime ban may be justified in member states if no effective detection techniques exist within the country.
The ECJ said countries must establish if such donors were at high risk of acquiring infectious diseases like HIV.
Simon Hamilton said patient safety was the sole reason for NI keeping its ban.
Restrictions put in place in the UK in the 1980s to prevent the risk of HIV contamination were lifted in 2011 in England, Scotland and Wales.
In Northern Ireland, the Stormont health minister at the time, Edwin Poots, said he was maintaining the ban on the basis of ensuring public safety.
His decision was challenged in the High Court in Belfast in 2013, where a judge said Mr Poots did not have the power to keep the "irrational" ban.
Mr Poots has lodged an appeal in an attempt to have the verdict overturned.
That appeal hearing is scheduled to being in October.
Mr Hamilton, who has taken on some responsibilities of the health portfolio after current minister Jim Wells announced he was resigning, said he would take a detailed look at the European court's ruling.
"Patient safety is of paramount importance - it was for no other reason that the decision was taken," he said.
"If those circumstances change as a result of facts and evidence that are presented, I think we would want to take a look at that, but at this moment in time, patient safety has to be the most important thing we have in our minds."
In the UK, a lifetime ban on gay men donating blood was introduced in the early 1980s as a response to the Aids epidemic and the lack of adequate HIV tests.
However, it was lifted in Britain in 2011 after a government panel said the latest medical evidence suggested the ban could no longer be justified.
The government's Advisory Committee on the Safety of Blood, Tissues and Organs said there had been advances in the testing of donated blood which had significantly reduced the chance of errors, and had reduced the size of the "window period" after infection during which it is impossible to detect the virus.
It meant men who have not had sex with another man in the past 12 months were allowed to donate.
The Republic of Ireland is amongst a number of European countries that maintain a lifetime ban on gay men giving blood.
The Irish government is currently considering whether to introduce a one-year deferral instead.
Speaking after Wednesday's judgement, Irish Minister for Health Leo Varadkar said: "Any decision will be guided by medical and scientific evidence and best international practice.
"I do not see this as an equality issue.
"We must always remember that the risk being taken is by those who receive blood, not those who donate it."


Bands and fans have returned to Manchester's music venues, a day after the attack on Manchester Arena - led by Simple Minds, who said cancelling their show would have felt "cowardly".

Many of their fans agreed, saying they would not let the bomb stop them.
But hundreds stayed away from the gig because it was "too soon" after 22 people died at an Ariana Grande show.
Simple Minds singer Jim Kerr told the Bridgewater Hall crowd: "We would have felt cowardly just leaving town."
Their concert was the biggest gig in the city on Tuesday, and Kerr began by delivering a speech about the dilemma they faced in light of the previous night's events.
"This morning when we woke there was a decision to be made - do we play or do we cancel and leave town?" he said.
"I'm sure if we had done that, everybody would have understood. But we would have felt cowardly."
With the rest of the band lined up on stage, he added: "When we went through the band and spoke to the crew, everybody wanted to play. There was no doubt about that."
Before launching into the gig, he asked the audience to "take one minute to meditate and we'll play a bit of music and think of the victims of last night and their families".
The crowd spontaneously rose to their feet and stood in silence as reflective pre-recorded music was played.
There were empty seats, though. The show had been sold out, but when the gig started, on my level, around 80% of ticketholders had turned up.
The venue's capacity is 2,300 - meaning several hundred decided to stay away.
Many ticket-holders had earlier said they didn't agree with the decision to go ahead.
"Sadly wont be going," wrote Andrew Sturgess on Twitter. "Tried to reason for going all day. I can understand both sides. But too soon and too close for me."
Lindsay Hunt said: "Can't believe this concert is going ahead. Too soon. Our seats will be empty as my kids are still in shock after last night's events."
And Chris M wrote: "After much soul-searching, have decided not to go tonight. I know the show must go on, but the feeling just isn't right with me."
Among those who did attend, there was defiance.
"We are very saddened, but then we feel we've got to come," Diane Barber from Northwich in Cheshire told BBC News before the show.
"It would be too easy not to come. It's been hard. But we have to. That's the thing about Manchester - it's very strong. It's hard to come, but why should we let these people beat us?"
Another concert-goer named Gill said: "We should keep on with life, keep doing what we're doing. I did have hesitations. I've got children at home and I didn't want them worrying that we're in town.
"But I wanted to also show them that we don't give in to these violent, evil people and we carry on doing our best to keep supporting the arts and the city and businesses and life."
Ray Collins, also from Northwich, said turning up represented "being brave and standing up for values".
He said: "I know it was an extremely sad and sadistic thing that happened last night... and people may have doubts about Simple Minds with the way they're carrying on with their concert, but I think that's standing up for our values.
"There's fright but we've got to be strong as well."
One band that faced the same dilemma as Simple Minds was Take That, but the Mancunian man band reached a different decision.
They played three nights at the city's arena last weekend and were due to play three more nights there this weekend.
In between, they were scheduled to appear at Liverpool Echo Arena on Tuesday, but postponed that show "out of respect to all of the people and their families that were affected by the horrific incident last night".
Back in Manchester, a member of the city's musical royalty - former Smiths guitarist Johnny Marr - made a surprise appearance with Broken Social Scene at the Albert Hall on Tuesday.
Other gigs went ahead, and it was confirmed that one of the city's musical events of the year will take place as planned this Saturday.
The Courteeners will play a sold-out 50,000-capacity show at Old Trafford cricket ground, supported by other local bands including The Charlatans and Blossoms.
Announcing the decision, The Courteeners frontman Liam Fray said of the attack: "This will hurt. For a long time. But as you walk around town today try not to bow your head. Look up at the skies. We'll see you on Saturday."
Follow us on Facebook, on Twitter @BBCNewsEnts, or on Instagram at bbcnewsents. If you have a story suggestion email entertainment.news@bbc.co.uk.


The uncle of a 15-year-old Hillsborough victim has said it was "hard" listening to evidence about his nephew at the inquests.

9 December 2015 Last updated at 12:55 GMT
The jury heard it was not "medically plausible" that Kevin Williams regained consciousness and said "mum" before he died.
Danny Gordon is the brother of Kevin's mother Anne Williams, who campaigned for more than 20 years for a new inquest into her son's death, but died before the current hearings began.
Mr Gordon said: "It has been a long, long time waiting and when it comes it is hard."
Kevin was one of 96 people who died following a crush at the FA Cup semi-final between Liverpool and Nottingham Forest on 15 April 1989.


Astronomers have measured the distances between galaxies in the universe to an accuracy of just 1%.

This staggeringly precise survey - across six billion light-years - is key to mapping the cosmos and determining the nature of dark energy.
The new gold standard was set by BOSS (the Baryon Oscillation Spectroscopic Survey) using the Sloan Foundation Telescope in New Mexico, US.
It was announced at the 223rd American Astronomical Society in Washington DC.
"There are not many things in our daily lives that we know to 1% accuracy," said Prof David Schlegel, a physicist at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory and the principal investigator of BOSS.
"I now know the size of the universe better than I know the size of my house.
"Twenty years ago astronomers were arguing about estimates that differed by up to 50%. Five years ago, we'd refined that uncertainty to 5%; a year ago it was 2%.
"One percent accuracy will be the standard for a long time to come."
The BOSS team used baryon acoustic oscillations (BAOs) as a "standard ruler" to measure intergalactic distances.
BAOs are the "frozen" imprints of pressure waves that moved through the early universe - and help set the distribution of galaxies we see today.
"Nature has given us a beautiful ruler," said Ashley Ross, an astronomer from the University of Portsmouth.
"The ruler happens to be half a billion light years long, so we can use it to measure distances precisely, even from very far away."
Determining distance is a fundamental challenge of astronomy: "Once you know how far away it is, learning everything else about it is suddenly much easier," said Daniel Eisenstein, director of the Sloan Digital Sky Survey III.
The BOSS distances will help calibrate fundamental cosmological properties - such as how "dark energy" accelerates the expansion of the universe.
The latest results indicate dark energy is a cosmological constant whose strength does not vary in space or time.
They also provide an excellent estimate of the curvature of space.
"The answer is, it's not curved much. The universe is extraordinarily flat," said Prof Schlegel.
"And this has implications for whether the universe is infinite.
"While we can't say with certainty, it's likely the universe extends forever in space and will go on forever in time. Our results are consistent with an infinite universe," he said.
When BOSS is complete, it will have collected high-quality spectra of 1.3 million galaxies, plus 160,000 quasars and thousands of other astronomical objects, covering 10,000 square degrees.
An analysis of the current data - 90% complete - is published on the Arxiv preprint server, with final results expected in June.
After that, future surveys will have to start filling in the enormous gaps between the vast boundaries the BOSS team have defined - and to go much deeper in space. This latter task will be a key objective of Europe's Euclid space telescope due to launch at the end of the decade.


A man has been charged in connection with a robbery in which a 57-year-old man suffered fatal injuries.

Andrew McVicar, 33, of Dewsgreen, Basildon, Essex, was charged with robbery in The Drive, Hullbridge, on 19 March.
Timothy Smith died two days later from head injuries.
Mr McVicar appeared at Chelmsford Magistrates' Court on Saturday and was remanded in custody. He will appear at the city's crown court on 27 April.
He was arrested on Friday morning in north Lanarkshire.


No manslaughter charges are to be brought over the deaths of three soldiers from overheating on a training exercise in the Brecon Beacons.

L/Cpl Craig Roberts, 24, of Penrhyn Bay, Conwy, and L/Cpl Edward Maher, 31, died from hyperthermia on 13 July 2013.
Cpl James Dunsby, from Bath, died two weeks later in hospital.
The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) considered evidence files on two people who were questioned on suspicion of gross negligence manslaughter.
In a statement, it said the criminal investigation will continue with primary responsibility now passing to the Health and Safety Executive.
Catrin Evans, head of CPS Wales Complex Casework Unit, said: "To establish an offence of gross negligence manslaughter, the prosecution would have to be able to show that the suspects owed a duty of care to the victims - that this duty of care was breached, that this breach was an operative cause of death - and that the conduct of the suspects was so negligent that it ought to be characterised as a crime.
"Having considered a large amount of detailed evidential material, including reports provided by expert witnesses, my review concluded that the evidence available does not meet the required legal standard for prosecution.
"Our sincere sympathies remain with the families of the three soldiers who tragically lost their lives last July."
She said the CPS had written to the men's families to explain the decision and to offer a meeting with lawyers to discuss the decision in more detail.
Last month, a pre-inquest hearing in Solihull, West Midlands, was told the soldiers suffered hyperthermia, which occurs when the body's temperature rises substantially above what is considered normal.
Cpl Dunsby's death was also as a result of multi-organ failure following the 40-mile (64km) hike when temperatures reached 29.5C (85F), coroner Louise Hunt said.
The soldiers were among six men rescued from the mountain during the exercise, which had been part of a four-week trial for the Territorial Army's SAS reservists.
A full inquest is expected to be held later this year.


It was a battle between the lawyer and the salesman, and for the most part the lawyer came out on top.

It may be hard to remember, but before Mrs Clinton was a secretary of state, or a senator or a first lady, she was a lawyer - and, by all regards, a talented one.
And after all these years, she still campaigns like one. Meticulous, cautious, controlled. What works in the courtroom, with its rules and customs, often doesn't fly in free-wheeling political debates, however.
Mr Trump, on the other hand, is the consummate salesman. Rules, tradition, even the truth are only relevant in so much as they help seal the deal.
The weakness of this approach is the perception that the salesman is all talk and no substance - a problem that can be exacerbated by 90 minutes under the debate spotlights.
In the end, the lawyerly preparations paid off for Mrs Clinton, as she controlled the evening with forensic precision.
While Mr Trump had a strategy - and pursued it on occasion - he was often blown off course by the former secretary of state and torpedoed by his own sometimes badgering performance.
While Mrs Clinton was occasionally prone to know-it-all-ness - particularly in her repeated appeals to outside fact-checkers - she largely maintained the upper hand.
Here are three ways she scored points, two times Mr Trump gained an edge and one very important wildcard.
After a give-and-take on economic plans, the topic turned to one specific set of tax returns - Mr Trump's - and why he won't follow longstanding presidential candidate precedent and release his own.
After the Republican repeated an old, since debunked excuse that he can't release them while he's being audited by the Internal Revenue Service (which, he says, has been auditing him for 15 years, by the way), Mrs Clinton went on the attack.
Her key line: "I think probably he's not all that enthusiastic about having the rest of our country see what the real reasons are, because it must be something really important, even terrible, that he's trying to hide."
Takeaway: The lawyer did her homework.
What's in Donald Trump's tax returns?
Before Mr Trump got derailed on his taxes - and after Mrs Clinton's jab, he spent much too long trying to explain himself - the debate was actually going pretty well for him.
The economic discussion featured the kind of give-and-take on trade deals, including Mrs Clinton's past support for the North American Free Trade Agreement and the Trans-Pacific Partnership, that will work to Mr Trump's advantage in industrial states hollowed out by manufacturing jobs moving overseas.
His key line: "You go to New England, you go to Ohio, Pennsylvania, you go anywhere you want, Secretary Clinton, and you will see devastation where manufacture is down 30, 40, sometimes 50%. Nafta is the worst trade deal maybe ever signed anywhere, but certainly ever signed in this country."
Takeaway: A salesman knows a bad deal when he sees it.
If Mrs Clinton had the upper hand in the first round of the debate by putting Mr Trump on his heels when it came to tax returns, the second round proved to be equally inhospitable terrain for the Republican.
The issue was race relations in the US, and it was at that point that Mr Trump had to answer for being the leading voice questioning the authenticity of President Barack Obama's US citizenship.
Mr Trump once again tried to blame Mrs Clinton's 2008 campaign for starting the rumours - an assertion roundly dismissed by fact-checkers - and said he deserves credit from Mr Obama and black voters for settling the issue.
Mrs Clinton would have none of it, using the moment to turn up the heat on her opponent.
Her key line: "He has really started his political activity based on this racist lie that our first black president was not an American citizen. There was absolutely no evidence for it, but he persisted, year after year, because some of his supporters, people that he was trying to bring into his fold, apparently believed it or wanted to believe it."
Takeaway: The lawyer had the chance to come to the defence of Mr Obama, whose popularity is currently higher than either of the two candidates on the stage.
Throughout the debate, when he wasn't being goaded into responding to Mrs Clinton's carefully planned barbs, Mr Trump played up that he is the outsider and Mrs Clinton is too closely tied to the unpopular establishment and the status quo.
With polls showing upwards of 70% of the American public unhappy with the direction of the country, being the agent of change is in the political sweet spot. Add to that the natural inclination of the American public to switch direction after one party has been in the White House for eight years, and it is clear this is a potentially winning way for Mr Trump to frame the ballot-box choice for Americans.
Mr Trump's key line: "You've been doing this for 30 years. Why are you just thinking about these solutions right now?"
Takeaway: A good salesman knows when the customer wants a new product.
Toward the end of the debate, discussion turned to the question of presidential temperament and stamina. Who had it, and who didn't? Mr Trump, who seemed increasingly frazzled as the evening stretched on, saw this as a moment to attack. He questioned Mrs Clinton's judgement, her "look" and her stamina.
Mrs Clinton, after saying that her international travels as secretary of state, her efforts in diplomatic negotiations and her marathon congressional testimony showed she had the endurance to be president, asserted that Mr Trump's attacks were evidence of his sexist behaviour.
Mrs Clinton's key line: "You know, he tried to switch from looks to stamina. But this is a man who has called women pigs, slobs and dogs, and someone who has said pregnancy is an inconvenience to employers, who has said women don't deserve equal pay unless they do as good a job as men."
Takeaway: The lawyer had the salesman sputtering, complaining about her negative advertising, how she wasn't being nice and how was still doing well in the polls. It wasn't a good look for him.
And for the final X factor. The Lester Holt factor. Much had been made of how the NBC presenter would handle the debate and whether he would serve as a real-time fact-checker or take a more hands-off approach. One NBC staffer said Holt wouldn't be a "potted plant" - and that was definitely the case.
In all the above points, the opening for Mrs Clinton's advantage was set by the moderator. He first brought up Mr Trump's taxes. He asked about the Obama "birther" controversy. He pushed Mr Trump on the Iraq War and brought up his comment about her "look", which led to the extended discussion of presidential temperament and judgement.
Mrs Clinton's weaknesses - particularly her use of a private email server and potential conflicts of interest in her charitable foundation - were barely discussed.
If the winner of political conflict is dictated by the ground on which it is fought, then most of the debate was contested on terrain that was favourable to the Democrat.
Some of that was her own effective strategy and preparation; the lawyer's advantage. Some of it was Mr Trump's missteps and meandering; the salesman's failure to move his product.
A lot of it, however, was Holt's doing. That will have Democrats smiling and Trump supporters howling.
Who is moderator Lester Holt?


Taliban militants have killed at least 29 people in an attack on an air force base in the northern city of Peshawar, Pakistani officials say.

The gunmen, dressed in police uniforms, stormed the Badaber air base on Friday morning, Maj Gen Asim Bajwa said.
At least 16 of the victims were killed during morning prayers at a mosque inside the compound, Gen Bajwa added.
The Pakistani Taliban said they ordered the attack. Peshawar has frequently been targeted by militants.
Gen Bajwa said the militants entered the base, which is 10km (6 miles) south of Peshawar, at two points and then split into groups.
A rapid response force was dispatched to the scene and contained the attackers around a guard room, he added.
Thirteen militants were said to have been killed by security forces, although the Taliban said just one of their fighters died.
The total number of gunmen involved is unclear, but Gen Bajwa said his forces were hunting for the remaining attackers.
The exchange of fire also left 29 people injured, the Pakistani military said.
Gen Bajwa claimed that mobile phone intercepts suggested that the attackers had come from inside Afghanistan, though he said there was no reason to blame the Kabul government.
The attack on Badaber air base is the first on a military target since a Pakistan navy ship was attacked in Karachi's dockyard in September last year. It is the bloodiest since last December's massacre of 150 pupils and teachers at Peshawar's Army Public School.
The air base - which is essentially a residential complex rather than an operational one - is located on the southern-most tip of Peshawar's administrative limits. It is surrounded by tribal territory, which has been the hub of criminal and militant activity until recently.
The attack comes amid claims of success by the military in its 15-month operation in the tribal region, and may well be an attempt by militants to show they can still hit hard targets.
It also exposes holes in Pakistan's pre-emptive intelligence gathering mechanisms, mainly due to lack of co-ordination and information sharing among various security agencies.
In an email, Pakistani Taliban spokesman Muhammad Khurasani said a "suicidal unit" had carried out the attack.
An un-named military official told the Reuters news agency that the militants had "explosives-laden jackets and were armed with hand-propelled grenades, mortars, AK-47 rifles".
It is so far unknown if the militants had any insider support, as has been the case in previous attacks.
Pakistan's Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif condemned the attack, saying: "Terrorists will be rooted out from the country."
The military launched operations in North Waziristan in June 2014 to target militant hideouts, involving air force and ground troops.
Correspondents say this has helped lead to a significant reduction in large-scale Taliban attacks in Pakistan.
According to some reports, militant attacks decreased by 70% in 2015.


A Llandudno hotel's service has been named best in the world by travel website TripAdvisor.

The Lawton Court Hotel - where rooms start at Â£78 a night - beat a host of luxury hotels from around the world.
The nearby Elm Tree Hotel was named the world's best bargain hotel.
Llandudno has won more awards than anywhere else in the UK outside London, with eight hotels given 20 "travellers' choice" awards between them.
TripAdvisor said winners were selected on the basis of millions of reviews and opinions collected on their site.
Owners of the Lawton Court Hotel Hannah and Scott Lawton-Jones said they were "here to help - and that's what they love to do".
"We are so grateful and lucky to have welcomed so many lovely guests to stay over the last three years, and not forgetting the fantastic hardworking team we have that share the same principles as us," the couple added.
Mr Lawton-Jones' parents Carol-Lynn and Ian Robbins own the nearby Lauriston Court Hotel, which was also named best hotel in the world for service in 2013 - and this year is number five in the list.
As well as topping the world's bargain hotels category, the Elm Tree Hotel was named sixth best small hotel in the world, and third best for service in the UK.
Tom Long, the Elm Tree Hotel's owner, said he was "overwhelmed" at the accolade, and added: "We would like to say a big thank you to all our guests for your reviews."
Elsewhere in Walesâ€¦
Broadmead Boutique B&B in Tenby was ranked across three categories: romance, best service and small, coming sixth, 11th and 21st in the UK respectively.
In Tal-y-llyn, southern Snowdonia, The Old Rectory on the Lake came 25th in a list of the UK's top B&Bs.
The Pier Hotel in Rhyl took the title of UK's fifth best bargain hotel.
TripAdvisor said the awards differed from others as they were based on feedback from guests.
"Travellers wishing to experience these world class hotels for themselves will need to book quickly if they want to find out why they earned such rave reviews throughout the year from fellow travellers," added TripAdvisor spokeswoman Hayley Coleman.
The Aria Hotel Budapest in Hungary won the title of world's top hotel for 2017, while the Bindon Bottom B&B in West Lulworth, Dorset was named best B&B in the world.


A British student jailed on drugs charges in the United Arab Emirates has exclusively told Newsbeat he was tortured into making a confession.

Ahmad Zeidan was sentenced to nine years after cocaine was found in the car he was travelling in.
Speaking from prison, he claimed he didn't know anything about the drugs.
"They arrested me, took off the gold chain I was wearing, they tied it around their fist and started hitting me with it," he said.
"They then took us to a police station and forced me to sign papers in Arabic, saying basically that [the cocaine] was my possession and it belonged to me when it didn't.
"They kept me in a solitary cell for eight days. for eight days I didn't know where I was.
"They would repeatedly just randomly come in the cell and beat me."
The 20-year-old from Reading in Berkshire was arrested last December while driving with friends he had met in Dubai.
Zeidan was jailed after 0.04g of cocaine with a street value of about Â£3 were found in a bag in the car's glove compartment.
He was studying at the Emirates Aviation College in Dubai at the time of his arrest.
The Foreign Office says it is aware a British national has received a custodial sentence in the country and say it is providing help.
Ahmad Zeidan's family hope their son will get a pardon.
The legal charity Reprieve says he is the victim of "a shockingly flawed trial process" and is calling on the British government to do more to secure his release.
Reprieve investigator Kate Higham said: "Sadly, Ahmad's case is just one of many that point to the systematic use of police torture in the UAE, and its acceptance by the authorities.
"The UAE must urgently reconsider Ahmad's case, while the British government must do all it can to push for his release."
Newsbeat has tried to contact the UAE authorities but has not received a response.
Follow @BBCNewsbeat on Twitter and Radio1Newsbeat on YouTube


Former pirate radio and Radio One DJ Dave Cash is celebrating 50 years of broadcasting.

Cash, who still presents shows on BBC radio in the South, played his first record, Bill Haley and His Comets' Rock Around the Clock, in Canada.
"This little job came up as holiday relief on 15 August 1964," he said.
"It feels more like 50 minutes than 50 years. There were times when things weren't the best in the west, but 99.99% of the time they were great."
Cash, aged 72, was born in London but went to Canada with the Merchant Navy.
His first broadcast give him an audition tape to take to the pirate ships broadcasting offshore to Britain, and he joined Radio London.
"I saw this guy huddling over and being very ill, because the ship was going up and down at a heck of a pace," he said.
"He said, 'I'm Maurice Cole - they call me Kenny Everett'."
When the pirates, which inspired the 2009 film The Boat That Rocked, were outlawed, Cash became one of the first DJs on Radio 1 in 1967 alongside the likes of Tony Blackburn, Pete Murray, Ed Stewart and John Peel.
He also worked for Capital Radio for 20 years from 1973 before rejoining the BBC in 1999.
"I love talking to the people and getting their reaction," he said. "And, of course, you get to play the best music on the planet, which can't be bad."
Cash's shows are broadcast at weekends in Kent - where he lives - Surrey, Sussex, Berkshire, Dorset, Oxfordshire and Hampshire.
There will be a special show on 25 August, but he said he was spending the 50th anniversary of his first show getting an MOT for his car.
"Maybe I'll have a cup of coffee or something later on with the wife."


Society is "losing the plot" as it becomes more secular and less trusting, the UK's outgoing Chief Rabbi Lord Sacks has said.

Lord Jonathan Sacks told the BBC the growth of individualism over the past 50 years was responsible for a pervasive breakdown in trust.
He highlighted the 2008 financial crisis and the declining marriage rate.
The National Secular Society said the decline of religious authority had led to a "more tolerant and equal society".
Lord Sacks, 65, is to step down next month after 22 years in office. He will be succeeded by Rabbi Ephraim Mirvis, an ex-chief rabbi of Ireland.
In an interview with BBC Radio 4's Sunday programme, he said: "I think we're losing the plot actually. I think we haven't really noticed what's happened in Britain."
He added: "If people work for the maximum possible benefit for themselves then we will not have trust in industry, in economics, in financial institutions, we will not see marriages last."
He also said institutions, including marriage, broke down "when you begin to lose faith and society becomes very, very secularised".
"It's not the fault of one government or another, and it's not even the fault of government," he added.
"It's the fault of what we call culture, which is society talking to itself."
Lord Sacks has been chief rabbi of the UK and Commonwealth since 1991.
The role is traditionally seen as the figurehead of British Jews, although it is only officially representative of the United Synagogue, the biggest wing of orthodox Judaism in the UK.
Lord Sacks announced in 2010 that he would stand down this year.
In the interview he argued that the breakdown of marriage had exacerbated child poverty in the UK, "so children get to be the victims".
Although he said he had no desire to be "prescriptive" about potential solutions, he offered: "I think a situation where children grow up in stable association with the parents who brought them into being is probably the biggest influence on the eventual shape of a society."
Lord Sacks called on all political parties to work more with faith communities on "how can we educate people for a sense of the importance of enduring relationships".
He said: "If you're looking for Big Society, it's strongest in those church or mosque or temple communities, or synagogue communities, because that's what we do. We care for one another."
Religious faith "undergirds trust as a whole in society" but is misunderstood by many people, he said, to mean "something I believe without evidence".
"It doesn't mean that at all," he continued.
"Faith, at least Jewish faith, means having trust in one another, and that trust being based on trust in God."
However, Stephen Evans, a spokesman for the National Secular Society, said the importance Lord Sacks attached to religion was "vastly overblown".
"It's not without good reason that most people no longer trust religious leaders or turn to them for 'moral guidance'," said Mr Evans.
"The decline of religious authority and its ability to influence society brings with it a more tolerant and equal society, and we're perfectly capable of being decent and trustworthy people without it," he said.
In an article for the Times newspaper, Lord Sacks recently urged ministers to do more to encourage marriage and support stay-at-home mothers.
The government "should certainly recognise marriage in the tax system", he wrote.
Chancellor George Osborne has already promised a tax break for married couples in his Autumn Statement but his coalition partners, the Liberal Democrats, are opposed to the move.


David Rudisha became the first athlete since New Zealand's Peter Snell in 1964 to retain the men's 800m Olympic title.

The 27-year-old Kenyan hit the front with about 300m to go after compatriot Alfred Kipketer sprinted clear on the first lap of the race.
Rudisha finished in one minute 42.15 seconds, ahead of Algeria's Taoufik Makhloufi and fast-finishing American Clayton Murphy.
"I am so excited," said Rudisha. "It is the greatest moment of my career."
Makhloufi ran a new national record of one minute 42.61 seconds and Murphy clocked a personal best of one minute 42.93 seconds in a bizarre race.
Kipketer set out fast, going through the first 200m in just 23 seconds.
But the 19-year-old, who had beaten Rudisha in the Kenyan national trials, faded to finish seventh in Rio.
"Running 1:42, it's just fantastic," added Rudisha. "I had no doubts before. The feeling in my body was good. It is great to win such a big competition."
BBC Sport's chief sports writer Tom Fordyce in Rio:
"He is the greatest 800m runner of all time and he may also be the nicest man in his sport. Rudisha may not be at the same holy level as that unforgettable night in London, but he remains both a joy to watch and an unstoppable force.
"After the injuries he suffered after 2012 - missing the worlds in 2013, requiring a serious knee operation less than two years ago - this victory was never preordained. He just makes it look that way."


Callers to out-of-hours GP services faced waits of more than 12 hours, posing a "significant risk to patient safety", a leaked report has revealed.

The interim report into Integrated Care 24 (IC24), which runs non-emergency 111 and out-of-hours services in Norfolk and Wisbech, found deficiencies in call handling and a shortage of GPs.
During unannounced inspections following complaints, staff said they had been asked to alter their records.
IC24 said it had addressed the issues.
The organisation operates NHS 111 services in areas including Great Yarmouth and Waveney and parts of Essex, and took over the Norfolk and Wisbech contract in September 2015.
Assessors from Norwich Clinical Commissioning Group (NCCG) inspected five IC24 bases in Norfolk and one in Cambridgeshire in November following staff complaints.
Their report highlighted issues including:
In October last year, IC24's interim chief executive said the organisation was still struggling to fill shifts.
A month later, Norwich resident Peter Rowley said he called 111 but waited 11 hours for a call back, eventually going to A&E instead.
Read more on this and other stories from Norfolk
The company apologised, but said it had followed procedures.
Karen Watts, who wrote the interim report into IC24, concluded it was "not clinically assured of the safety of the OOH [out-of-hours] service" and only "partially assured" of the 111 service.
She said the CCG believed the issues identified were having a "negative impact on recruitment and retention of the existing workforce".
Ms Watts also demanded IC24 provide a detailed improvement action plan by the beginning of December.
The BBC asked to see the improvement plan, and whether concerns highlighted in the report had been sufficiently addressed, but both NCCG and IC24 declined to answer, instead sending a joint statement.
NCCG spokesman Tim Curtis said the organisation had been "very encouraged with IC24's response".
Yvonne Taylor, IC24 chief executive, said: "As an open organisation, I would like to reassure our patients that we continue to work with our commissioners to provide a robust and transparent service for our patients."
Both organisations said: "There were no deaths that we know of which can be attributable to the long waits."
The NCCG has been asked to share the outcomes of its investigation so they could be examined by a health committee, a Norfolk County Council spokeswoman said.
Tony Durcan from the Royal College of Nursing said it had "sought reassurances that measures had been put in place to address the worrying points raised by the leaked report".
Dr Tim Morton, chairman of Norfolk and Waveney Local Medical Committee, said IC24's problems were "a consequence of a severe workforce crisis within the NHS in recruiting and retaining GPs".
NHS 111/Out-of-hours care


A mental health nurse at Broadmoor high security hospital has admitted selling stories about patients to journalists.

Kenneth Hall, 49, from Bridgwater, Somerset, sold details about killers held at the hospital to the News Of The World and Mirror newspapers.
They included Robert Ashman, who attacked MP Nigel Jones and killed his assistant with a samurai sword in 2000.
Hall pleaded guilty to misconduct in public office at the Old Bailey and will be sentenced next month.
The offences took place between 29 June 2002 and 6 October 2004.
Hall's wife Karen, who was also a nurse at Broadmoor, pleaded guilty to aiding and abetting the commissioning of the offence by allowing money she knew her husband was getting by selling stories to go into her account.
The mother-of-three did not sell any stories or disclose any confidential information herself, and was sentenced to five months in jail suspended for one year on Tuesday.
The Old Bailey heard how Hall made thousands of pounds selling stories to a freelance reporter, Anna Gekoski, who often worked for the News Of The World.
He later also made contact with a reporter at the Mirror.
Prosecutor Stuart Biggs said Hall "was both providing care and treatment to patients with mental health illnesses and personality disorders" when he sold the stories.
"And so he had responsibilities in respect of the risk they posed to each other, themselves and the community."
The court heard that Hall smuggled out patient notes relating to Ashman, leading to a number of stories, including one headlined, "Samurai Nut Could Be Free In 18 Months".
Mr Biggs said Hall also forged notes when he could not smuggle the originals out of the hospital.
In an email to Ms Gekoski, from 19 September 2003, Hall wrote: "Hope it goes in as a lot of work went into getting copies of those."
But the prosecutor said: "Many of the contents are fabricated. There is sometimes some truth, and sometimes there is more truth, but there is at least exaggeration.
"In this case it's a complete fabrication."
Hall also pleaded guilty to forgery.
Mr Biggs said: "In two different ways the public official abused his position.
"He had the credibility of the newspaper to create false documents, and he, on the rare occasions he was able, took out of the hospital a true document, with obvious sensitive and confidential information."
Sentencing Mrs Hall, who suffers from poor mental health and walks with a stick, Judge Timothy Pontius said it was a "tragedy" to see her in court.
But he said that in knowing her husband was making money by selling confidential information, she had encouraged the offending.
The judge told Hall, meanwhile, that a prison sentence "must be uppermost in the court's mind".
He was bailed to return to the Old Bailey for sentencing on 26 June.


Chelsea defender Kurt Zouma is "sorry" about comments he made that team-mate Diego Costa "likes to cheat a lot".

Media playback is not supported on this device
Zouma, 20, made the remarks after Chelsea's win over Arsenal on Saturday when striker Costa clashed with Gunners centre-back Gabriel, who was sent off.
"Sorry for any confusion. English is not my first language. I did not mean to accuse anyone of cheating," he said.
Spain international Costa, 26, has since been charged with violent conduct by the Football Association.
Frenchman Zouma added Costa was "a player who puts pressure on his opponents and who I have huge respect for".
Chelsea have spoken to Zouma about his initial remarks, which were made in a television interview immediately after the 2-0 win over Arsenal.
"Everyone knows Diego and this guy likes to cheat a lot and put the opponents out of his game, and that happened in the game," Zouma told beIN Sports.
Media playback is not supported on this device
"He's a real nice guy in the life and we are very proud to have him."
Zouma scored the opening goal for the Blues in their victory at Stamford Bridge when he nodded in a Cesc Fabregas free-kick at the far post.
"It's harsh to take literally the words of a young player spoken in his second language immediately after a game," said a Chelsea spokesperson.
"He is deeply upset his words have been used to attack a team-mate and friend."
Costa puts his hands in the face of Arsenal defender Laurent Koscielny before rowing with Gabriel.
The Chelsea forward and Gabriel were booked by referee Mike Dean and the latter was dismissed for a second yellow when he kicked out at Costa in the aftermath.


Some of those looking closest at the Chilcot report into the Iraq War will be the families of British soldiers who died in the conflict.

Doug Rigby knew the moment he saw the uniformed figures at his gate. Why else would the army come to his home like this?
He and his wife Liz had two sons serving in Iraq, twins John and Will, both with the 4th Battalion The Rifles in Basra.  "I said 'which one?' because we had the two boys out there," recalls Doug. "They confirmed it was John."
Cpl John Rigby's patrol had been caught by a roadside bomb and he suffered a devastating head wound.  It was 22 June 2007, the twins' 24th birthday.  Will held his brother's hand as he lay comatose in a military hospital. The family had to decide whether to switch off his life support machine.
"The prognosis was that even if John lived the brain injury was such that he would not be viable," says Doug. His wife Liz describes it as "a terrible decision to have to make".
After John's death Liz Rigby would walk in the woods close to the family home in East Sussex. These were days when the pain followed her through every waking moment. But in the Brede High woods, where the trees arch over the woodland path, she sometimes felt her dead son's  presence. "I felt him on my right shoulder, walking through here… it was warm. It made me smile," she recalls.
For Liz and her husband Doug the Chilcot report must hold to account the politicians who sent their son to war. They are angry over the delay in the report's publication.
"It should have happened years ago… I think they hope that people will have forgotten about it, but we'll never forget about it," says Liz.
He initially believed the Blair government's justification for the war but the failure to find weapons of mass destruction has left him feeling bitter with the politicians. Doug's father fought in World War Two and his grandfather in the Great War. Both were wars in which Britain emerged militarily victorious.
"My grandfather fought in a war where the troops were lions led by donkeys, and the donkeys were the generals. I think the lads in Basra were called the lions of Basra and the donkeys were the politicians who sent them there in the first place."
Liz Rigby is deeply affected by the continuing violence in Iraq. "I think it's really sad it hasn't been sorted and it's still continuing and people are still dying. Really you can't put it to bed and say it's over… it's always there on the TV and in the newspapers. It's a reminder of John and what happened."
Carol Jones's son, Sgt John Jones, was killed in 2005 when his armoured Snatch Land Rover was blown up. The vehicles were too lightly armoured for the war conditions of Iraq. They were eventually withdrawn by the Ministry of Defence.
"They were there to do a job, they did the job," says Carol Jones. "It was very difficult for them with the equipment they got."
Like many relatives of the bereaved she is angry with former Prime Minister Tony Blair. "He should have gone down with Saddam," she states. For her the Chilcot report could represent a cathartic moment.
"I'm just hoping. I really do hope that we can close the book. I just hope Mr Chilcot gives us the truth."
The Chilcot report can answer questions about the decision to go war, the planning for the war's aftermath and the equipment given to the troops. It was not in his remit to decide on the legality of the war, or to recommend that political leaders be prosecuted for war crimes. Nor can he heal the wounds of families who have lost sons, brothers and fathers.
Carol Jones campaigned to have a memorial wall brought from Basra to the National Memorial Arboretum in the West Midlands. The wall bears brass plaques inscribed with the names of each of the 179 British servicemen and women killed in Iraq.
"This is where they belong, with their families. Their families can come down here and put flowers down, sit on the benches and just talk to their loved ones. It's so important. We got them back. They are not in Iraq anymore."
Full details of the 179 British servicemen and women who died


The US Mint and Treasury will for the first time issue a commemorative coin depicting Lady Liberty as a black woman.

The coin commemorates the Mint's 225th anniversary and shows Liberty with a crown of stars and a toga-like dress.
The 24-carat coin will weigh 28g (1oz) and have a face value of $100 (Â£80).
The US Mint says it plans to issue further coins depicting Liberty as women from ethnic minorities, such as Asian, Hispanic or Indian Americans.
Rhett Jeppson, the Mint's principal deputy director, told the New York Times newspaper that part of the intention was to "have a conversation about liberty - and we certainly have started that conversation".
A total of 100,000 of the Gold coins will be created, along with 100,000 silver reproductions of the image, called medals, that will sell for about $50, the newspaper reported.
The coins will go on sale on 6 April.
Coins bearing new designs will be issued every two years, the Mint said in a statement.


Nestle's popular Maggi noodles are likely to return to shelves in India in November, the company has said.

Tests on fresh stocks of Maggi have found them to be safe, with levels of lead well below permissible limits, Nestle India said in a statement.
Previous tests already cleared existing stocks, so the latest results pave the way for the return of the noodles.
Nestle had challenged a government ban on the noodles after some tests found lead levels beyond statutory limits.
Maggi arrived in India in 1983 and can be found in corner shops across the country.
Nestle India said it had received results from three government accredited laboratories mandated by the Bombay High Court in August to carry out tests and all the new samples of Maggi noodles had been cleared.
Nestle itself has conducted more than "3,500 tests representing over 200 million packs in both national as well as international accredited laboratories for testing and all reports are clear", the statement said.
The company said it would make its "best endeavour to commence the sale of Maggi noodles within this month as well as continue engaging with states where permissions are needed or specific directions may be necessary".
The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) had banned the popular noodles citing tests that deemed the instant noodles to contain "unsafe and hazardous" amounts of lead.
India separately sued Nestle for $100m (Â£64m) over "unfair trade practices".
The company, which has 80% of India's instant noodles market, has already destroyed 400 million packets of Maggi products.


Former Wales footballer Robbie Savage was awarded an honorary fellowship at his hometown university on Wednesday.

The former Leicester City, Derby County and Blackburn Rovers midfielder was honoured by Wrexham's Glyndwr University for services to sport.
Savage, 40, earned 39 caps for Wales and played for six different clubs in a career spanning 17 years.
He said: "I am very thankful to be offered this honorary fellowship... and accept this accolade wholeheartedly."
The father-of-two and former Manchester United trainee is now a regular pundit for Match of the Day and Radio 5 Live and appeared on Strictly Come Dancing in 2011.
The university's vice-chancellor, professor Michael Scott, said: "Robbie Savage is Wrexham through and through so we are thrilled that he will be accepting this honour."
Other fellows being honoured at the graduation ceremony include Mario Kreft, owner of Pendine Park care organisation, technology firm NU Instruments' managing director Alan McCall and Tim Baker, artistic director of Clwyd Theatr Cymru in Mold, Flintshire.


The BBC has learned the Stormont Executive is planning to set up a crisis fund for foreign nationals.

Media playback is unsupported on your device
14 February 2014 Last updated at 19:28 GMT
The scheme will help people from abroad who are suffering from the effects of poverty.
Chris Page has been meeting asylum seekers living in Belfast to investigate why the need is there.
The BBC Radio Ulster documentary Nowhere to Go will be broadcast on Sunday 16 February 2014.