Byers ducks big lie test

A defiant Stephen Byers today refused point-blank to come to the Commons and make amends for telling MPs - falsely - that his press chief, Martin Sixsmith, had resigned.

His refusal landed Tony Blair deep in trouble this afternoon as the Prime Minister found himself hammered by both the Conservative and Liberal Democrat leaders. Both virtually accused Mr Byers of lying and said he ought to go.

In one of the fiercest clashes since he became Tory leader, Iain Duncan Smith reminded Mr Blair that before he was elected to No10 he had promised "no more lies". "Why has he not dismissed his Transport Secretary?" he demanded.

Lib-Dem leader Charles Kennedy acidly pointed out that Mr Blair was in favour of the "three strikes and you're out rule". Pointing to Mr Byers, sitting uneasily five seats from Mr Blair, Mr Kennedy asked: "Should not he be out?"

Earlier at No 10, the Prime Minister's official spokesman said there was no need for the Transport Secretary to face MPs because he had not misled them. The spokesman fended off repeated questions as to how that squared with the Commons statement made by Mr Byers on 26 February headed "Resignation of Martin Sixsmith", in which he repeated the resignation point no fewer than 14 times.

The Transport Department acknowledged in a statement yesterday that the suggestion was wrong, and voiced "regret" it had ever been made.

Today Mr Byers's boycott appeared to leave him open to a charge of breaching one of Parliament's golden rules. The Commons bible, Erskine May, states: "It is of paramount importance that ministers give accurate and truthful information to Parliament, correcting any inadvertent error at the earliest opportunity." It adds that ministers who knowingly mislead the Commons should resign.

The Conservatives were this afternoon looking for a route to force Mr Byers to face them. One option would be a series of emergency questions, although a first attempt earlier today was turned down by Speaker Michael Martin. Another would be a move in the Commons to cut the Transport Secretary's salary, effectively a motion of censure.

Such efforts usually rally MPs to the minister under fire. Tories know it has no chance of being voted through.

At the end of the 30-minute question time, Mr Byers hurried from the Chamber to shouts of derision as the Conservatives appealed to the Speaker to compel him to respond.

The Tories have pointed out that everyone now accepted Mr Sixsmith had been forced from his job along with Mr Byers's own spin doctor, Jo Moore, after a feud between them.

The betting at Westminster was that Mr Byers, with the continuing support of Downing Street and Labour MPs, would survive. But some doubted whether he would be able to maintain his stance of refusing to correct his earlier words.

Shadow Cabinet Office minister Tim Collins said Mr Byers had been caught lying and the episode was "the clearest possible example of someone deliberately misleading the House".

He added: "I am afraid that, if the Prime Minister hangs on to this particular disgraceful wretch, it will be the Prime Minister's reputation, too, that will be sullied."

Asked earlier whether he thought Mr Byers had unintentionally misled MPs, the Prime Minister's spokesman had replied that, given the "difficulties" surrounding the episode, "the answer is, 'No'".

? The part-privatisation of the Tube moved closer today when London Underground signed initial contracts with two private consortia, Tube Lines and Metronet, to take on maintenance and refurbishment of the ailing network on 30-year leases.

There are at least two months' more talks before final contracts are ready. The deal is also subject to Health and Safety Executive approval. If contracts are confirmed, work on the Tube would start later in the year.

Remove Byers from office?