On Thursday, members of parliament voted by a majority of 28 to retain their £24,000-a-year budget to buy and kit out second homes.

The package retaining the so-called John Lewis list – the use of public money to pay for items like new kitchens and TVs – was backed mainly by Labour MPs, including Hartlepool MP Iain Wright, John Cummings from Easington and Sedgefield's Phil Wilson.

Mr Wright said the vote would have led to negative press whichever way the MPs had voted.

Mr Wright has insisted the package he voted for will ensure scrutiny and a "rigorous system of auditing."

He said: "What I voted on will mean a sample of 25 per cent of members will be subjected to full a full audit every year, and every member of parliament will be covered by that full audit every parliament."

He added: "We are publishing all claims and all records, that's costing an extra million pounds a year to do that."

MPs also voted for a 2.25 percent pay rise, rejecting a proposed £650-a-year catch-up payment.

It will be the last time MPs debate and vote on their own pay rise after they agreed to link future increases to those given to other public sector workers like doctors and teachers.

Mr Wright said: "It was very significant that we moved away from MPs setting their own pay, I think it's absolutely right because it looks wrong."