IAIN Duncan Smith has said Parliament is embroiled in a culture of excess and needs reform.

The Chingford and Woodford Green MP has spoken to the Guardian for the first time since the expenses scandal rocked Parliament.

Mr Duncan Smith refused to comment on individual claims, but slammed the expenses system.

He said: "If you have a culture which is lazy and allows excess in an organisation, excess will take place.

"Once you get into claims you get into a whole mess of silly things.

"The sooner this is sorted out the better."

Mr Duncan Smith, who is one of the lowest claimants of expenses in London and did not claim for a second home last year, said he was not worried about being "tarred with the same brush" as other MPs with "excessive" claims.

He said: "It seems there's nothing you can do about it. There's no point in complaining about it - I'm just getting on with doing my job."

Mr Duncan Smith refused to comment on the calls of his Tory predecessor Lord Norman Tebbit for the public not to vote for the three main parties at the upcoming European elections.

He added: "I have no idea what will happen at the European elections. I've given up on speculating elections."

Mr Duncan Smith also pledged to allow reporters from the Guardian to inspect his receipts and claims "sometime this week".

It comes after Ilford North Conservative MP Lee Scott invited reporters from the Wanstead and Woodford Guardian to personally inspect his expenses.

Walthamstow Labour MP Neil Gerrard has also invited the Waltham Forest Guardian to do the same.