Junior health minister Phil Hope has agreed to pay back £41,709 of second home allowances he claimed to cover the cost of furniture, fittings and household items on his two bedroom flat in London.

“The anger of my constituents and the damage done to perceptions of my integrity concerning the money I have received to make my London accommodation habitable has been a massive blow to me that I cannot allow to continue”, said the Corby and East Northants MP in a statement.

Several MPs have already announced plans to repay on their claims, although Hope’s is the largest amount put forward so far.

Communities secretary Hazel Blears announced she would pay back £13,000 in capital gains tax from profits on a house paid for by the taxpayer, while Labour backbencher Margaret Moran is to return £22,500 she claimed for dry rot repairs on a property 100 miles from her constituency.

The prime minister has called for an independent review of every claim made over the past four years, saying that this would allow MPs to show they are ‘worthy of public trust’.