Kwasi Kwarteng said it was “perfectly reasonable” for Boris Johnson to have made the comments he did about Sir Keir Starmer and Jimmy Savile.
The Prime Minister made the untrue allegation in the Commons that Sir Keir had failed to prosecute Savile while he was director of public prosecutions.
He later dialled back, admitting Sir Keir had not been directly involved.
Mr Kwarteng was asked whether he would have used the same words as the PM, and told Trevor Phillips On Sunday on Sky News: “I think it’s entirely legitimate… it depends what the context was.”
“In that context, I think it was perfectly reasonable to mention the fact that Sir Keir had apologised. Sir Keir himself apologised on behalf of the organisation that he led about the fact that they failed to prosecute Jimmy Savile.
“So the fact that he apologised suggests that he does at some level bear some responsibility.”
Mr Kwarteng said he was not saying Sir Keir had “personal blame”.
Mr Kwarteng said it was not inevitable that Boris Johnson would have to step down.
After veteran Tory MP Sir Charles Walker said that was the case, Mr Kwarteng told Trevor Phillips On Sunday on Sky News: “He’s entitled to his view, as I’m entitled to mine.
“And I have to say Trevor, you know this, lots and lots of people have said things are inevitable and they never happened over the last few years, and I just want to wait and see.”
Mr Kwarteng said Sir Charles was elected on the Prime Minister’s manifesto.
