The inquiry into the Iraq war, and the events leading up to it, will begin this week.

Its report is not expected until after the general election, leading to criticism that the government is unwilling to face the repercussions of the report until the election is safely behind it.

Thousands of pages of evidence have already been seen and witnesses – including former prime minister Tony Blair – have been summoned.

The more high profile testimonies will come towards the end of the inquiry, so that those on the panel have every angle available to them.

But many critics of the war are already warning the inquiry will be a whitewash, especially after so many commentators were unable to square the Hutton report into the death of David Kelly with the evidence which came before it.