“IT’S tax free, you don’t particularly have to justify it – rejoice.”

That’s how one Bournemouth MP says the controversial expenses system was sold to them when it was first introduced.

Sir John Butterfill, who represents Bournemouth West, believes it helps explain why so many MPs appear to have made dubious, excess or apparently fraudulent expense claims.

And he has called for all decisions on MPs’ pay and expenses to be made by an independent panel, with MPs forced to accept their recommendations.

Sir John said: “This allowance was brought in under Margaret (Thatcher) because they didn’t want to give us the pay rise that the review board had agreed.

“The treasury minister that announced it to us said ‘There it is, it’s tax free, you don’t particularly have to justify it, just ask the fees office to pay it – rejoice’.

“It created the wrong atmosphere. It encouraged people to claim for spurious things.”

He said he believed 90 per cent of his parliamentary colleagues were as “straight as a die” but admitted: “The public think we’re all complete crooks now, which I think is rather sad.”

Bournemouth East MP Tobias Ellwood, who also designates his Bournemouth property as his second home, was due to put detailed expenses on his website last night and will hold a series of public meetings next week to “spell out his circumstances”.

“The atmosphere is bad but we have only got ourselves to blame,” he said.

“All MPs have been humbled by what’s happened.

“They are seriously embarrassed and, quite frankly, humiliated.”