The long-awaited Chilcot inquiry report into the Iraq War won't be published until after the UK general election http://bbc.in/155FtjT
The official inquiry into the 2003 Iraq War will not publish its long-awaited report before the general election.
BBC political editor Nick Robinson said inquiry chairman Sir John Chilcot was expected to confirm in a letter to David Cameron that it would be delayed until after the election on 7 May.
The inquiry began its work in 2009 and held its last public hearing in 2011.
Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg said the delay was "incomprehensible".
The Liberal Democrat leader said that the public would assume the delay was caused by those criticised in the report attempting to "sex it down".
The prime minister is to write a letter to the inquiry to "restate his frustration" at delay in publication and to say the report should have been published before the election, sources have told the BBC.
The inquiry has been looking into the reasons for the UK's involvement in the 2003 US-led invasion which toppled Saddam Hussein and the aftermath of the conflict, which saw UK troops remain in Iraq until 2009.
Right to respond
MPs have demanded that the report be published before voters go to the polls in May.
However, Nick Robinson said the process of giving witnesses time to respond to allegations against them, which began last autumn, cannot be completed in time for this to happen.
He said he expected Sir John to set out the reasons why the report could not be completed in time, a development first reported by the Guardian, on Wednesday.
Ministers had made it clear that the report would have to be finished by the end of February to allow enough debate on its contents before Parliament rises at the end of March ahead of the election.
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