Chief Whip Andrew Mitchell admits he "lost it a bit" when arguing in Downing Street with a police officer, a paper has quoted a friend of his as saying.
And the Sunday Telegraph says it understands Mr Mitchell does now admit to swearing during the incident.
The minister's friend says he was frustrated by the row, but was "not accusing anyone of lying".
Earlier, Cabinet minister Ken Clarke defended Mr Mitchell, who he said was a reasonable and courteous man.
The friend reportedly said of Mr Mitchell: "He does not dispute he lost it a bit.
"He realises there may be differing versions of what was said but he is adamant he did not use the words he is reported to have used."
Mr Clarke, a minister without portfolio in the cabinet, said: "I have known Andrew for a long time and he is a perfectly reasonable, courteous man with the same high regard for the police services as anyone else.
"He obviously had a flare of bad temper on this occasion and has rightly apologised. I do think this should be allowed to set the matter at rest."
'Smaller gate'Labour has urged for greater clarity after Mr Mitchell denied he called the officer a "pleb", but did not comment directly on his behaviour.
Shadow Policing Minister David Hanson said: "The truth needs to be got at".
The Liberal Democrat president, Tim Farron, described Mr Mitchell's alleged outburst as "utterly, indeed beyond, unacceptable."
The encounter occurred on Wednesday after Mr Mitchell, MP for Sutton Coldfield, was told by officers to get off his bicycle as he left Downing Street and use the smaller pedestrian gate instead of the main gate used by cars.
He is alleged by the Sun to have used foul language and told the officer at the gates to "learn your place" and told him: "You don't run this government".
BBC home affairs correspondent Danny Shaw says the officer has backed up the Sun's account of the event and the language - including the word "pleb" - that Mr Mitchell was reported to have used.
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