The British Prime Minister, Mr Tony Blair, gave his personal backing to Mr Stephen Byers last night after the embattled Transport Secretary's bruising Commons' ordeal over the Martin Sixsmith resignation affair.
However, Mr Byers' admission that his recent comments may have misled people about his role in negotiations over his former press chief's future fuelled fresh opposition demands that he should resign.
The Liberal Democrat leader, Mr Charles Kennedy, branded Mr Byers's Commons' statement "a disgrace" and urged him to go immediately. And the Conservatives vowed to pursue Mr Byers "until he accepts the inevitable and departs from the office he has so badly tarnished".
Doubts about Mr Byers' survival had grown yesterday following Downing Street signals that everything might turn on the Transport Secretary's statement to MPs about the extraordinary civil war which had engulfed his department over press leaks about plans to "bury" bad news on the day of Princess Margaret's funeral, the subsequent departure of special adviser Ms Jo Moore, and the still-disputed "resignation" of Mr Sixsmith as director of communications.
But with Tory spokesman Ms Theresa May seemingly having failed to deliver a "killer blow" - and Labour MPs rallying to the minister's side - Mr Byers and his Permanent Secretary, Sir Richard Mottram, left Downing Street after a 30-minute meeting with the assurance of the Prime Minister's support.
News of the meeting had triggered speculation about a likely "dressing down" and a probable prime ministerial instruction to the minister and his top civil servant to "get their ministerial house in order".
However, in a statement last night Mr Blair's official spokesman insisted: "Far from this meeting being a carpeting, the prime minister wanted to indicate his support for them and the work they are doing, which is ultimately far more important than the dispute which has attracted so much attention in the last few days."
That drew scorn from Shadow Cabinet Office Minister Mr Tim Collins. Insisting Mr Byers' statement did not remotely get him "out of trouble", Mr Collins said: "The only new fact we have learned is that Mr Byers admits openly that he lied on the Dimbleby programme [on Sunday] and does not seem particularly apologetic about doing so."
On the Dimbleby programme Mr Byers was asked about claims that he blocked a proposed deal which would have seen Mr Sixsmith transferred to another post within the civil service.
Mr Byers repeatedly described these as "personnel matters between Mr Sixsmith and the Permanent Secretary".
In the Commons yesterday, however, Mr Byers conceded: "I made it clear to Sir Richard Mottram that in my view - and this view is strengthened by the events of recent days - Mr Sixsmith should not be given a job elsewhere in government." Of the Dimbleby interview, Mr Byers continued: "If my answers on the programme gave the impression I did not put forward a view, or make clear my view to others inside and outside the department, that is obviously something I regret and I welcome this opportunity to clarify matters."
By Mr Sixsmith's account his discussions with Sir Richard about his possible relocation were continuing at the point at which Mr Byers announced his "resignation". And at Westminster last night there was little doubt that had this discrepancy in Mr Byers' version arisen from statements made to MPs rather than on television his ministerial career would already be over.