Ruth Kelly has launched an impassioned defence of her decision to send her son to a £15,000-a-year private school for help with his "substantial" learning difficulties.
The Communities Secretary insisted she had to do the "right thing" for her child, who is believed to have dyslexia, and that meant taking him out of the state system for a "couple of years".
She issued an emotional plea for understanding from the public, stressing the taxpayer would not be asked to shell out for the fees - even though the family may be eligible for help.
"I appreciate that some will disagree with my decision," she said in a statement. "I understand why, but we all face difficult choices as parents and I, like any mother, want to do the right thing for my son - that has been my sole motivation."
Downing Street and Cabinet colleagues rallied around to bolster the former Education Secretary's position, despite signs of anger from Labour backbenchers.
There was also strong support from a less likely source in the form of Tory leader David Cameron, who insisted Ms Kelly was not a "hypocrite".
He told GMTV it was a "personal matter", adding that the minister was "a parent first".
"Some people are going to say it's hypocrisy. Well, if they were going to abolish private education, then it would be hypocrisy, but they're not.
"People should recognise that politicians, like everyone else, are parents first and will act in the best interests of their children."
Current Education Secretary Alan Johnson indicated his sympathy for a colleague who was experiencing "complex personal issues".
