By Matt Chorley and Jason Groves PUBLISHED: 17:52 EST, 21 October 2012 | UPDATED: 05:29 EST, 23 October 2012 Split: Andrew Mitchell resigned last week after a month of controversy The Prime Minister was forced to defend his handling of the Andrew Mitchell affair yesterday, insisting the former Chief Whip’s rant at Downing Street police was not serious enough to cost him his job. The Prime Minister said Mr Mitchell finally resigned because of the ‘bigger question’ of whether he would be able to do his job properly, having had his  authority over MPs undermined. Mr Cameron – widely criticised for allowing the issue to drag on for a month – appeared irritated as he was questioned over his refusal to sack the minister in a series of TV interviews yesterday.
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The Prime Minister says it would have been 'easy' to sack his minister but the 'proper thing to do' was get him to say sorry
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Education Secretary Michael Gove suggested he and the PM had tried to persuade Mr Mitchell to 'tough it out'
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Mr Mitchell’s dramatic resignation was due to foul-mouthed rant at police officers as he tried to exit the Downing Street gates on his bike
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Mr Gove suggested the officers’ recollection of rant may have been wrong
Opposed: David Cameron does not believe Andrew Mitchell should have lost his job because of ‘seven seconds of madness’ in Downing Street, @placeholder (right) revealed last night