The energy secretary has been forced to clarify that she backs Shabana Mahmood’s migration policy, after earlier joking that she had not been able to “lie” about supporting a key element of the changes.

Miatta Fahnbulleh made the original remarks to a journalists’ event in Westminster, referring to an “awkward” Sky News interview in which she repeatedly refused to say she was in favour of plans to make foreign workers wait 15 years to get permanent residency.

She told the event: “I made three promises to myself when I came into politics. The first was never lie, which has created some awkward moments, including being interviewed by Sophy Ridge yesterday.”

The implication that she could not bring herself to lie about supporting the changes appears to have gone down badly among colleagues in government, although No 10 refused to be drawn on whether they requested her to issue a clarification.

Fahnbulleh posted a statement on social media on Thursday evening saying: “Today I made what was meant to be a…