BROWN WAS ‘BEGGED BY BLAIR’ TO HOLD WAR INQUIRY IN SECRET

In secret messages passed via Britain’s top civil servant Cabinet Secretary Sir Gus O’Donnell, Mr Blair feared he would become the accused in a show trial. Mr Brown’s decision to hold the inquiry sparked outrage last week.

But Mr Blair is said to have told the Prime Minister he was worried about giving evidence on oath – and also feared revealing the truth about intelligence reports and secret conversations with US President George Bush.

Signing on to American plans to topple Saddam Hussein amid false claims that the Iraqi dictator was developing weapons of mass destruction was the most controversial decision of Mr Blair’s time at Number 10.

Giving a full picture of what happened could mean Mr Blair revealing details he is planning to keep secret until his memoirs – for which he received £5million – are published.

A spokesman for the former Labour leader said: “This was a decision for the current prime minister, not for Tony Blair.”

A Downing Street spokesman said that a number of people had been consulted.

But Northern Ireland Secretary Shaun Woodward yesterday confirmed that Mr Blair had been involved. He said: “Of course the Cabinet Secretary discussed this with the former Prime Minister because he obviously will be one of the major witnesses who will be giving evidence to Sir John Chilcot’s inquiry.”

Despite suggestions of a U-turn, Mr Brown’s decision to hold the inquiry in public attracted more criticism from ministers yesterday. Transport Minister Sadiq Khan said that it looked awful.

Justice Secretary Jack Straw, Foreign Secretary at the time of the 2003 invasion of Iraq, said he would have no objection to giving most of his evidence in public.