Maintained Vera changed colour (7)
I believe the answer is:
averred
'maintained' is the definition.
(averring is a kind of maintaining)
'vera changed colour' is the wordplay.
'changed' is an anagram indicator.
'colour' becomes 'red' (red is a kind of colour).
'vera' anagrammed gives 'aver'.
'aver'+'red'='AVERRED'
(Other definitions for averred that I've seen before include "Stated, asserted" , "Alleged, asserted" , "Claimed" , "Held" , "confidently stated" .)