Ashford MP Damian Green says MPs who defied a call to reform their allowances in a bid to restore trust in the system have scored an own goal.

The MP voted in favour of a package of reforms that were designed to introduce greater openness and accountability into the system and would have seen the controversial “John Lewis list” scrapped.

But the reforms were rejected after a coalition of MPs, including several ministers, voted them out.

Mr Green said: “We are spending public money so we should be clear about it and have it audited independently.

“It seems unarguable to me that we should have more transparency in the system.

"It is deeply disappointing that so many members, including ministers, voted to stop these reforms. It is a missed opportunity.”

He rejected complaints that the reforms were impractical and would have been impossible to police. “I don’t think anyone was suggesting we needed a corps of spies around to check on second homes.”

The reforms were proposed after a series of contoversies about MPs’ allowances.

They would have seen the introduction of tighter controls, the replacement of the ACA for second homes with an overnight expenses allowance of £19,000 for accommodation and a £30-a-day subsistence allowance, payable without receipts.