Best Excuese's!

Anthony Steen on spending tens of thousands of pounds of taxpayers’ money on his million-pound country home.

"I've done nothing criminal, that's the most awful thing, and do you know what it's about? Jealousy. I've got a very, very large house. Some people say it looks like Balmoral. It's a merchant's house of the 19th century. It's not particularly attractive, it just does me nicely"

The MP, who will stand down at the next election, later apologised "unreservedly" for the comments

So many trees! You can't see the house for the trees!

Anthony Steen sought help from the taxpayer to inspect 500 trees on his land

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.

Anthony Steen

Job: backbench Conservative MP

Salary: £64,766

Total second home claims

2004-05: £20,902

2005-06: £21,634

2006-07: £22,110

2007-08: £23,083

Anthony Steen claimed £87,000 on country mansion with 500 trees

Anthony Steen, the MP for Totnes in Devon, designated his constituency property as his second home and then claimed the maximum available amount under the Additional Costs Allowance.

Over four years he claimed £87,729, including payments for tree surgery, guarding his shrubs against rabbits, maintaining a separate cottage and overhauling his private sewage system. In January 2005, items on Mr Steen’s claim for £13,742 included £2,858.94 for leaking pipes, £1,755.89 for fixing the water supply from the “spring and bore hole”, £1,318 for a wrought iron fireplace and £597.14 for lights.

There was also a £459 charge from a woodland consultant to come and inspect new plantings on Mr Steen’s lands. The consultant tagged shrubs and assessed whether there was a need for “additional guarding” against rabbits.

Another £120 was for “fencing on two fields to the right of the drive leading down to the stables”. A fees officer scrawled on that bill: “I’ve paid this, should I have?”

Another invoice detailed how a chartered forester, who was a member of the International Dendrology Society, had been employed to carry out a survey of the laurels and rhododendrons. The forester was also hired to “carry out annual maintenance programme to approx 500 trees within the grounds and inspect said trees.”

Mr Steen, 69, who was educated at Westminster School, is a former barrister. On his website he displays a description of himself, broadcast by the BBC, as having “a shrewd mind behind an appearance of endearing battiness”.

His daughter Xanthe, 38, is a television presenter. He bought his home for £1.02 million in 2000 and it is thought to be worth more than £1.5 million. It has a small swimming pool and tennis court. Mr Steen rents a house in London. On June 27, 2005 the fees office wrote to Mr Steen to say: “We are concerned that your claims for land management and gardening may be considered excessive within the spirit of the proviso 'wholly, necessarily and exclusively on parliamentary duties.” It withheld £2,610 until it could seek clarification.

The following day one fees officer sent an email to another saying she had spoken to Mr Steen on the telephone. The female official said: “Mr Steen has a letter from Devon county council advising that some of the trees on his property were unsafe and there was a public safety issue to address.” She said Mr Steen no longer wanted to claim for the planting of new trees, so he should therefore be paid £2,530.82.

For April to July 2007 he put in a claim of £17,324.86. It included £1,703.75 on four weeks scaffolding hire for chimney repairs and outside decoration. The claim was reduced to £12,788.82 by the fees office because of out of date invoices.

Another bill for £1,774.25 included repairing a stone wall, sowing grass and “removing boulders”.

Mr Steen told The Daily Telegraph he believed there were only “about 100 trees”. The expense for tree work arose after complaints from constituents that large trees were dangerously overhanging the road. He said: “When I explained this to the fees office, and the circumstances of the invoice, they approved it.”

Mr Steen said he had not claimed for mortgage interest. The MP added: “I shall be meeting the scrutiny panel established by David Cameron next week. If they believe I should repay any sum I will do so.”

Anthony Steen

Job: backbench Conservative MP

Salary: £64,766

Total second home claims

2004-05: £20,902

2005-06: £21,634

2006-07: £22,110

2007-08: £23,083