Byers survives - for now

Byers stuck to his guns over the Sixsmith affair

By Nick Assinder BBC News Online political correspondent

So, surprise, surprise, Stephen Byers lives to fight another day.

After a particularly nasty, unenlightening and, for the most part, second rate Commons debate, he walked out of the chamber carrying the same smile - and the same brief - as when he entered it.

Someone up there, as well as Tony Blair, clearly likes him.

And he must feel pretty confident that he will also weather the censure debate being planned by the Tories in the next few days.

May could not hit the target

But no one watching the proceedings felt they had witnessed the Commons at its best. Many believed the debate had approached a new low.

Superficial scars

It was dominated by shouting, throwing of papers and name calling.

And, from the secretary of state, there was unbending defiance with only the most cursory attempt to explain exactly why he was there in the first place.

Anyone looking for a detailed examination of the issue at the centre of the latest calls for his resignation, or for a careful explanation of why he need not quit, was disappointed.

Tory spokesman Theresa May, in particular, once again failed to pin down her opponent, who now bears more superficial scars than a WWF wrestler.

But, to be fair it would have taken a Hercules to drag the transport secretary from his panic room.

He had his form of words to deal with his detractors and nothing, but nothing, was going to shift him.

More important jobs

Time and again he told those accusing him of misleading the Commons to go away and look at the different statements he, his department and his chief civil servant had made about the "spingate" affair.

Such an exercise would show that he was innocent of any offence, he insisted. And that was about as much explanation as anybody got.

And in any case, there are far more important things for him to be getting on with, such as sorting out the rail system, he said.

Sixmith did not resign

But it is precisely because people had carefully examined those statements that he was, once again, facing MPs accused of telling them untruths.

The issue is simply whether he misled MPs when, on 26 February, he told them his former press chief Martin Sixsmith had resigned over the affair.

Not resigned

Mr Sixmith always claimed he hadn't, and his version has now been backed by Mr Byers' department.

The minister's defence is that, in his statement, he also referred to another account by his top civil servant Sir Richard Mottram the previous day which made it clear Mr Sixmith insisted he had not resigned.

Mr Byers had indeed referred to Sir Richard's account, but then continued to tell MPs Mr Sixmith had resigned. An open and shut case to his detractors.

And it all seems pretty trivial, except for the fact that one of the central principles of parliamentary democracy is that MPs do not mislead the Commons, deliberately or otherwise.

Blair is still backing Byers

It is, with good reason, the gravest possible sin. If ministers and MPs cannot be trusted to tell the truth in the Commons, which is there to hold them to account, then why should anyone believe a word they say at any other time.

Any suggestion that ministers or the government feel they can treat the Commons with contempt raises real and hugely important questions about democracy.

Blair's standing

This affair will be back, of course.

The Tories will have their censure debate but, as long as Mr Byers has the prime minister's support, he is safe.

What the Tories believe is that, while they find it impossible to remove the minister, each time he comes to the Commons to explain himself he damages Mr Blair's standing.

And it is that drip, drip effect that may yet decide the transport secretary's future.