Wow, that was weird, I completely skipped the word "industrial" when I skimmed through that, so, yeah, the services industry probably still died a little.
The fact that the rise was surprising just shows how unpredictable economics can be, to be honest. If expert analysts can't predict growth or recession in the next month, how on earth can they predict what's happening in 2010?
EDIT: Just read this in one of the spin-off articles from that one:
More independent economists are coming round to the view that the chancellor's forecast of a fall of 3.5% over the whole of this year, with a recovery beginning towards the end of the year, is perfectly feasible.
As I said, I don't really think that predictions are at all accurate, but if Darling was right about it all (whether he got lucky with a pin through the paper, or his accountants he's paying for on the expenses got it right), that could bode well (well, better) for Labour's general election next year.
