The Labour member, whose constituency includes Morpeth, also believes it would not be right to hold the national poll soon as the issue would dominate it.

He wants it to be contested on the policies put forward by each Party.

The House of Commons recently gave out information from receipts and claim forms handed in by MPs over the past four years, although some details were blanked out as it said they would breach privacy.

From what is available, it was revealed that Mr Murphy regularly claimed the monthly maximum of £400 for food.

He claimed around £500 in payments each month for his London flat, as well as regularly claiming £250 a month in petty cash and £200 a month for his cleaning bill.
Individual claims were made for a new television (£750) and 'jewelled tulip' curtains (£120), while in 2007-08 he spent £1,430 on redecoration.

And along with many of his colleagues, he charged the taxpayer more than £3,000 of public money to pay for tax advice from London-based accountancy firm H. W. Fisher.

There is no suggestion that he or any of Northumberland's MPs have been engaged in any wrongdoing in relation to their claims.

But when asked if he was worried that the issue could hamper the chances of MPs who stand again at the next General Election, which is expected to be held in 2010, Mr Murphy said: "Of course I'm worried.

"A lot of people are angry and disillusioned with politics and politicians generally.

"But I hope that we can eventually put this behind us and we can get back to talking politics.

"It would be wrong to hold a General Election at this time, particularly as all the main Parties — Labour, the Conservatives and the Lib Dems — have been caught up in it.

"It would be a poor General Election if the main focus wasn't on the policy issues which separate the Parties such as the economy."

He added that he supported Government proposals to bring in independent scrutiny for MPs expenses, saying it was "long overdue".

But he believes measures should only be brought in after the independent review by Sir Christopher Kelly into the matter is published.