Tony Blair said yesterday that British military intervention should be considered in the fight against Islamic State (Isis), as peace activists advised the former PM to shut up.

In an essay penned for the Tony Blair Faith Foundation website, Mr Blair argues for sending in ground troops to fight the militants because arming local fighters and launching air strikes in regions controlled by the Isis would not be enough.

Mr Blair, whose government became known for warmongering in Iraq and Afghanistan, wrote: “There can be an abundance of diplomacy, all necessary relief of humanitarian suffering, every conceivable statement of condemnation which we can muster, but unless they’re accompanied by physical combat, we will mitigate the problem but not overcome it.