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Political inquiries

This page has a database of political  inquiries and reports, as well as resources and information about organisations working in this area. Click on an inquiry to go to its detailed page. Please get in touch if there is a report or inquiry you would like to see added or if you find something which needs to be corrected.

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Political Inquiries and reports

You can filter by type of report and theme of inquiry.  Click apply to search and reset to start again.

​The investigations found will be displayed and each has a link to this site's page for the inquiry it comes from, and a page direct to the government link if available.

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Public-Private Partnerships

Themes

Finance, Politics

Issues

Princess Diana

Themes

Politics, Media, Police

A police inquiry and inquest investigated the deaths of Princess Diana and Dodi Al Fayed. They faced a storm of theories suggesting conspiracies and collusion. While the inquest found more mundane contributing factors to the death, the detailed rebuttals by the police report have never satisfied some.

Issues

Richard Commission (Wales)

Themes

Politics

The Richard Commission was an independent investigation into whether the newly formed National Assembly for Wales had sufficient legal powers and a fair enough voting system to effectively govern the country.

Issues

Rhodesia-Nyasaland Royal Commission (Bledisloe Commission)

Themes

Politics

The Bledisloe Commission investigated the feasibility of merging Southern Rhodesia, Northern Rhodesia, and Nyasaland, ultimately advising against immediate full amalgamation due to the "native question" and the starkly different racial policies between the territories.

Issues

Palestine Royal Commission

Themes

Politics

The Peel Commission was a landmark British inquiry that declared the Mandate for Palestine unworkable due to irreconcilable national aspirations and proposed the first formal plan to partition the land into separate Arab and Jewish states.

Issues

Standards in public life

Themes

Politics

Issues

Burns Hunting inquiry

Themes

Politics

Issues

Charges against the Chief Constable of St Helens

Themes

Police, Politics

Issues

Thameslink 2000

Themes

Politics, Finance

Issues

Profumo Affair

Themes

Politics

Issues

The Sizewell B Inquiry
(Layfield Inquiry)

Themes

Politics

A proposal by the Central Electricity Generating Board to construct a pressurized water reactor nuclear power station at Sizewell, Suffolk.

Issues

Budget Leak Tribunal

Themes

Politics, Finance

Inquiry into the unauthorised disclosure of information relating to the Budget

Issues

Dawn Sturgess Inquiry

Themes

Defence, Killings, Politics, Police, CBRN, Chemical

The Dawn Sturgess Inquiry is an independent investigation into the circumstances surrounding the 2018 Novichok poisoning incident in Salisbury, focusing on the death of Dawn Sturgess.

Issues

Post Office Horizon IT Inquiry

Themes

Police, Politics

Issues

Chilcot

Themes

Defence, Politics, Legal

The Chilcot Report concluded that the UK chose to join the invasion of Iraq before peaceful options for disarmament had been exhausted, based on "flawed intelligence" and "wholly inadequate" planning for the post-conflict period.

Issues

Accountability

Edinburgh tram (Hardie inquiry)

Themes

Politics, Rail

The Edinburgh Tram Inquiry investigated the delays, cost overruns, and reduced scope of the Edinburgh Trams project, ultimately providing 24 recommendations to prevent similar failures in future infrastructure projects

Issues

Holyrood (Fraser inquiry)

Themes

Politics

The Holyrood Inquiry was a definitive investigation into how a national landmark became a symbol of public-sector mismanagement, concluding that the project was doomed to exceed its budget from the moment a "fast-track" construction method was chosen for a complex, evolving design

Issues

Renewable heating initiative

Themes

Politics

The Independent Public Inquiry into the Non-Domestic Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI) Scheme, chaired by Sir Patrick Coghlin, investigated the serious flaws and administrative failings that led to the scheme's significant financial overspend and misuse. The inquiry, which lasted approximately 24 months, resulted in 44 recommendations aimed at preventing similar issues in future government schemes.

Issues

Sierra Leone Arms Investigation (Legg inquiry)

Themes

Politics, Defence, Legal

The Legg Inquiry investigated whether British officials or ministers secretly approved a shipment of arms by Sandline International to Sierra Leone in breach of a UN embargo, ultimately finding that while some officials were aware of the plans, there was no ministerial conspiracy.

Issues

Scott

Themes

Politics, Defence

To investigate the role of ministers and Parliament in the approval of arms exports to Iraq during the 1980s

Issues

Hinduja Affair

Themes

Politics

The Hammond Inquiry into Ministerial Conduct Relating to the Hinduja Affair, chaired by Sir Anthony Hammond, was a brief investigation lasting 45 days in 2001, which produced 9 recommendations addressing the conduct of ministers involved in the affair.

Issues

Hutton

Themes

Defence, Killings, Politics, Media

The Hutton Inquiry investigated the circumstances surrounding the death of Dr. David Kelly, who was identified as the source of a BBC report claiming the UK government had exaggerated intelligence about Iraq's weapons of mass destruction

Issues

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