The planned public inquiry into grooming gangs has run into trouble, with some survivors resigning from the consultation panel. This is challenging because the inquiry is specifically meant to give a voice to survivors. Gone are the days when a judge conducted an orderly process, deciding who to listen to and whether their views fell within the permitted scope of the exercise. Now, inquiry chairs are expected to orchestrate a cathartic process of listening, memorialising and healing. In this collection, comprised of both recent and archive articles, Matt Flinders, Geoffrey Howe, Kieran Walshe, Nick Timmins and Natacha Harding give their insights into the politics of public inquiries.