Foreign Secretary William Hague said yesterday his decision publicly to deny speculation about a gay affair with an aide was “not an easy thing to do”.
He said he and wife Ffion had “had enough” and decided to “put the record straight” about the rumours which had been circulating, particularly on internet sites.
Downing Street said Mr Hague continued to enjoy the “100% support” of Prime Minister David Cameron.
In a frank statement issued on Wednesday, Mr Hague denied an “improper” relationship with special adviser Christopher Myers and said his marriage was secure.
He also revealed his wife, Ffion, had suffered a number of miscarriages as they tried to start a family. Mr Myers quit his post as special adviser, citing the pressure put on his family by media inquiries into the allegations.
In a press conference at the Foreign Office, Mr Hague said his former aide was “someone who is rather fed up of the political world, and who can blame him?”
Mr Myers told reporters he “categorically denied” the allegations about an improper relationship with Mr Hague.
“Yesterday, I made a very personal statement, which was not an easy thing to do. I am not going to expand on that today,” said Mr Hague.
“My wife and I really felt we had had enough of the circulation of untrue allegations, particularly on the internet, and at some point you have to speak out about that and put the record straight.”
There was support from the chairman of the Conservative Association in Mr Hague’s Yorkshire constituency of Richmond. Christopher Bourne-Arton said: “It was a very brave statement. I am only sorry it was necessary.”
Mr Myers, 25, was employed by Mr Hague during the election campaign and had worked for the foreign secretary as a policy adviser on a salary reported to be £30,000. Mr Hague admitted to “occasionally” sharing hotel rooms with Mr Myers during the election.
He added: “Neither of us would have done so if we had thought it in any way meant or implied something else.
“In hindsight, I should have given greater consideration to what might have been made of that, but this is in itself no justification for allegations of this kind, which are untrue and deeply distressing to me, to Ffion and to Christopher.”
Mr Hague’s decision to share a room with Mr Myers led some senior figures to question his judgment. Former Tory cabinet minister John Redwood wrote on his blog the foreign secretary “now seems to understand it was poor judgment to share a room with an assistant”.
Labour leadership contender Ed Balls said: “I’ve never shared a room with an assistant of mine, male or female, and I think probably when you are in a senior position you have got to be careful with these things.”