Anthony Steen claims people just jealous of his large house

Anthony Steen claimed claimed £87,729 over four years for his million-pound country home

Mr Steen became the second Tory grandee to announce his retirement at the next election after the disclosure he spent tens of thousands of pounds of taxpayers’ money on his million-pound country home.

The MP, who spent nearly £90,000 on his second home over four years from his MP's expenses claims, insisted his behaviour was "impeccable" and he had merely been "caught on the wrong foot".

"As far as I am concerned and as of this day I don't know what the fuss is about," he told the BBC Radio 4's The World at One.

"We have a wretched Government here which has completely mucked up the system and caused the resignation of me and many others, because it was this Government that introduced the Freedom of Information Act and it is this Government that insisted on the things which caught me on the wrong foot.

"What right does the public have to interfere with my private life? None."

He likened the events of the past two weeks to an episode of Coronation Street, with MPs waiting by the telephones between 3pm and 4pm to find out if they were going to feature in the next day's edition of The Daily Telegraph.

Meanwhile, it has emerged that David Cameron laid down a quit-or-be expelled ultimatum to another Tory MP, Sir Peter Viggers, over his gardening expenses claims, which included a floating 'duck island' for his pond.

Sir Peter, the MP for Gosport in Hampshire, submitted an invoice for a “Stockholm” duck house to the Commons fees office, claiming £1,645 as part of his MP's expenses claims.

The floating structure, which is almost 5ft high and is designed to provide protection for the birds, is based on an 18th-century building in Sweden. The receipt, from a firm specialising in bird pavilions, said: “Price includes three anchor blocks, duck house and island.”

It was announced on Wednesday that, following The Daily Telegraph’s disclosures, Sir Peter will retire at the next election.

Sir Peter became the third veteran Tory MP to announce he will quit over expenses claims, after his second home gardening bills were among the latest claims to be published by The Daily Telegraph.

Mr Steen, the MP for Totnes who has been in the Commons since 1974, paid a forestry expert to inspect up to 500 trees in the grounds of his country estate.

His resignation, which was announced at 7pm on Wednesday, came after Douglas Hogg decided to stand down after repaying more than £2,000 to the Commons authorities for the cost of clearing his moat.

The disclosures have been intensely embarrassing to David Cameron who has been seeking to modernise his party’s image.

Over four years Mr Steen claimed £87,729, including payments for tree surgery, guarding his shrubs against rabbits, maintaining a separate cottage and overhauling his private sewage system.

Lord Lamont, the former Chancellor, has urged David Cameron to order every Tory MP to face automatic reelection to eliminate any who have been tainted by the expenses scandal.