Junior minister Edward Davey has admitted his embarrassment at being secretly recorded criticising the coalition Government's policies.

In his first interview since the Daily Telegraph published his comments this morning, the Kingston and Surbiton MP told the Surrey Comet the revelations would not reduce his influence in government.

Mr Davey had told two reporters posing as constituents he was “gobsmacked” by a decision to cut child benefits for higher-rate taxpayers.

And the Kingston and Surbiton MP also felt plans to limit housing benefit would affect those who could least afford it.

On the recording, he said: "Their housing benefit cuts are going to mean, in my view, if they go through, that some people who are on the breadline will be put below the breadline and that's just deeply unacceptable."

Speaking to the Surrey Comet, he refused to say whether he would support the reforms to housing or child benefits in any parliamentary vote, but said he was committed to the coalition.

He said: “I'm quite clear. I'm embarrassed by these revelations. They are the sort of things you expect to be kept private.

“I understand collective responsibility and I defend Government policy as you would expect a minister to do, but I still think it would be bizarre if people thought we do not try to influence things in private.

“Inevitably in government there will be policies we will not agree with. That's not unusual and that happens in one-party government as well.

“I did not expect two journalists to come in and pretend to be constituents. I think that shows them and the Daily Telegraph in a poor light.

“I'm focusing on getting on with my work and not going to allow the so-called scoop by people who were behaving in a rather fraudulent manner get in the way of my work as a minister or as an MP.”

He was one of at least four Liberal Democrat ministers caught out by Daily Telegraph journalists, including Twickenham MP Vince Cable, his boss in the Department of Business, Innovation and Skills.