Tony Blair may be asked to take part in a government inquiry after allegations the former prime minister attempted to save Colonel Gaddafi before the allied bombing of Libya.

A forthcoming biography of David Cameron claims Mr Blair was contacted by “a key individual close to Gaddafi” during the 2011 military campaign to topple the Libyan dictator, and subsequently telephoned Number 10 on his behalf.

Mr Blair purportedly called Downing Street to say the Libyan leader wanted “a deal with the British”. David Cameron, however, did not take up the offer.

The foreign affairs committee is currently conducting an inquiry into the Government’s foreign policy with Libya, which includes British military action in the country.

(Peter Macdiarmid/Getty Images)

Nadhim Zahawi, a Tory sitting in the committee, told The Times: “With these revelations, we should be pushing for Blair to come and explain as part of the inquiry.

“If this is true then we need to better understand what happened.”

The claims could prove highly detrimental for the former Labour leader, who has already faced condemnation for allegedly arranging a “deal in the desert” in 2004, in which Gaddafi was to eschew global terror in return for having international companies help him extract Libya's massive oil reserves.

The biography, Cameron at 10, by Sir Anthony Seldon, who has also written biographies of Tony Blair, Gordon Brown and John Major, also includes claims that former chief of the defence staff Lord Richards of Herstmonceux labelled Mr Cameron’s campaign to oust Gaddafi “half-baked”.

Tony Blair: A career of controversies Show all 11 1 /11 Tony Blair: A career of controversies Tony Blair: A career of controversies The Tony Blair 'selfie'.. A journalist takes a picture of Kennard Phillips 'Photo Op', depicting Prime Minister Tony Blair taking a 'selfie' in front of an explosion in Iraq, during a press viewing of the exhibition Catalyst: Contemporary Art and War Tony Blair: A career of controversies Protesters pictured outside the QEII Conference centre in London in 2011 as former British PM Tony Blair give his evidence in the Chilcot Iraq Inquiry Tony Blair: A career of controversies David Lawley-Wakelin, who disrupted Tony Blair’s testimony at the Leveson Inquiry by bursting into the court Tony Blair: A career of controversies Blair giving evidence Tony Blair: A career of controversies Tony Blair visiting troops in Iraq in 2007 Tony Blair: A career of controversies Blair meeting with troops in Basra, Iraq in 2003 Tony Blair: A career of controversies Britain's Prime Minister Tony Blair speaks to British soldiers at Divisional Headquaters in Basra, May 2007 Tony Blair: A career of controversies British Prime Minister Tony Blair eats dinner with British troops in Basra, Iraq, 21 December, 2004 Tony Blair: A career of controversies Syrian president Bashar El Assad during his official visit to the United Kingdom in 2002. Mr Blair tried to engage Mr Garcia in a conversation about Syria. The former Prime Minister made clear he was very much in favour of military intervention last summer. Tony Blair: A career of controversies Syrian president Bashar El Assad and wife Asma during their official visit to the United Kingdom in 2002. Mr Blair tried to engage Mr Garcia in a conversation about Syria Tony Blair: A career of controversies Former Prime Minister Tony Blair's signature adorns a program he signed for an Iraq veteran during a reception at the Guildhall in London following the service of commemoration at St Paul's Cathedral honouring UK military and civilian personnel who served in Iraq

The book also claims he said the prime minister “lacked the balls” to take military action in Syria that could have prevented the rise of Isis.

Further revelations include claims Mr Cameron told London mayor Boris Johnson to “fucking shut up” when he highlighted the number of ex-Etonians who went on to be prime minister.

Corbyn responds to Blair