HARRY Cohen has voted to abolish second home expenses for outer London MPs.

The Leyton and Wanstead member currently claims one of the largest second home allowances in the capital, but now faces being up to £24,000 poorer every year after MPs agreed to the changes in a vote on Thursday.

Under the proposals, all MPs representing constituencies within 20 miles of Parliament will be banned from making second home claims, but will still be entitled to a London allowance of £7,500.

Mr Cohen, who has received thousands in second home expenses, has attracted a storm of criticism over his claims, but he has always denied any wrongdoing.

MPs, including Mr Cohen, also agreed to produce receipts for any claims in any future expenses.

The changes voted in on Thursday are temporary and subject to a review by Parliament's Members Estimate Committee, which will publish their findings later this year.

Mr Cohen currently declares his main family home as being in Colchester, Essex, despite admitting to spending 90 per cent of his time in his Wanstead home.

But guidance produced for MPs by the House of Commons department of finance and administration says: "If you have more than one home, your main home will normally be the one where you spend more nights than any other."

However Mr Cohen has always denied breaking the spirit of the rules.

Walthamstow MP Neil Gerrard and Ilford North MP Lee Scott also voted to scrap the allowance.

Chingford and Woodford Green MP Iain Duncan Smith did not vote, claiming it would be "absurd" to do so as all measures are temporary pending the completion of a Parliamentary review.

Mr Cohen has refused to comment.