A Sussex MP who spent thousands of pounds of taxpayers’ money on a London flat despite owning a house a few minutes’ walk away yesterday bowed to public anger over expenses and promised to stop his claims immediately.

Francis Maude, Tory MP for Horsham and his party’s cabinet office spokesman, was forced into the humiliating concession by party leader David Cameron just hours after insisting his claims for mortgage interest - worth almost £35,000 over two years - enabled him to carry out his Parliamentary duties.

It follows a series of embarrassing disclosures in a national newspaper about MPs’ claims under the second home allowance.

In a statement, Mr Maude said: “I know how angry people are at what’s been disclosed about MPs’ allowances over the last few days and I understand it. I have only ever claimed legitimate expenses of having a second home for the purposes of being an MP.

“This whole episode has damaged politics enormously and I think all of us who have inadvertently contributed to that should do something to start to put it right.”

He said he would “forego any claims in respect of the London flat” until reforms being drawn up by sleaze watchdog Sir Christopher Kelly were put in place.

However, there was no sign that Mr Maude was planning to pay back any of the money already claimed.

The MP denied his retreat represented an admission of guilt, insisting he had acted “within the spirit as well as the letter” of the rules, but added: “I recognise that this isn't enough. We need to try to restore the reputation of politics from an appallingly low base. This is my contribution.”

Lewes MP Norman Baker, who has called for the official publication date to be brought forward, said yesterday Commons Speaker Michael Martin had “run out of road” after presiding over “serious mismanagement” of MPs’ allowances.