TORY David Amess and Labour MP Angela Smith were the only two south Essex MPs to vote against reforms to the second homes allowance.

Plans for external audits, a reduction of the threshold of receipts from £25 to zero and a ban on furniture or home improvements were all put forward last July by the Members Estimate Committee, a cross party group of MPs.

But the reforms were thrown out by MPs, many of whom have since been exposed to have claimed for mundane to extravagant items on the taxpayer.

The majority of MPs who voted against the changes were Labour – 146 of the 172 – but 21 Tories also voted against it, including Mr Amess MP for Southend West.

He has repeatedly refused to return calls, and last week ran away from an Echo reporter when quizzed about his £400 a month food claims, the maximum entitlement.

Mr Amess also claimed £23,063 – £20 below the maximum amount for a second home on the Isle of Dogs, east London, despite living in Westcliff. The commute from Westcliff to Westminster is about an hour and 15 minutes, while the commute from the Isle of Dogs is between half an hour and 40 minutes.

Also registered on the electoral roll at his London address are his wife and his daughter.

Mr Amess’s total expenses are £137,748, on top of a salary of £64,766.

Mr Amess has repeatedly refused to talk to the Echo about the scandal but Angela Smith said she had voted against the reform because she felt she had to vote rather than opt out.

Mrs Smith, Parliamentary aide to Gordon Brown, said: “I felt neither of the two proposals addressed the real issue. I voted on the one I thought made changes I like, and argued afterwards more had to be done for fundamental change.

“One of the things proposed was full audits of MPs every year, which I feel is wrong because it’s auditing payments once they’ve been made.

“There needs to be a process where decisions are made about an expense claim before money is paid.”

In Southend, the issue has renewed calls by Southend councillors for MPs to give up their second homes.

Graham Longley, Lib Dem councillor for Blenheim Park, part of Mr Amess’ constituency, said: “It raises the question whether or not MPs need a second home if they only live this distance from London.

“All the people who get on the train in the morning don’t have a second home.”

The backlash against Mr Amess has prompted local people to question if they could do a better job.

Independent councillor Martin Terry says he is getting a growing number of calls to fight Mr Amess for the Southend West seat in the next General Election.

Mr Terry, 54, who represents Westborough ward, was born in Leigh, and enjoyed the support of former TV reporter and Independent MP Martin Bell when he first campaigned for a seat on Southend Council in 2003.

He said: “Martin Bell has been calling for more independent MPs to stand, and it would be difficult to say no if there’s support for me.

“Politics is not about money, it’s a passion, and as an independent my first loyalty is to the electorate, as we are not controlled by whips.”