HOME Officer minister Beverley Hughes wriggled furiously on the hook, but in the end there was no escape - she had to go.

Ms Hughes insists she did not intentionally mislead anyone, but the fact remains that MPs were not told the truth and a minister cannot survive in those circumstances.

What is hard to believe is that she could forget receiving a letter from the then Home Office minister Bob Ainsworth, warning about the problems with immigration arrangements in Romania and Bulgaria, especially in view of her pledge to him to do something about it.

In view of the storm which had gathered over the whole affair, it would have been basic common sense for her to retrace her steps and ensure that all relevant documentation had been checked.

On Monday, Mr Blunkett said he took full responsibility for everything that happened in his department and gave Ms Hughes his full support.

Given the humiliating events of yesterday, which the Home Secretary described as the worst day in his political life, he may live to regret being quite as forthright.

For now, he has resorted to the time-honoured political tradition of blaming the media when something goes wrong.

While we do not condone the way some newspapers have used this saga to whip up anti-asylum seeker headlines, it is the media's responsibility to call the Government to account, just as it is the duty of a credible opposition.

The Government has been called to account. Beverley Hughes misled us - unwittingly or not - and she has rightly lost her job.

Now it is Mr Blunkett who has been left wriggling.