Zac Goldsmith is set to make a formal complaint to Ofcom following his head-to-head with Channel 4 news presenter Jon Snow on Friday night.

The MP for Richmond Park and north Kingston appeared in the live interview to answer questions that arose about his election spending, following an investigation by Channel 4 and the Bureau of Investigative Journalism.

But Mr Goldsmith was so enraged by comments made by Mr Snow the previous evening, when the original report was shown, that he refused to answer any questions until an apology was given.

Mr Snow refused to apologise, instead demanding answers from the MP, which sparked a heated exchange in which Mr Goldsmith dubbed Mr Snow a "charlatan".

He said: "I contacted Channel 4 and said I would like to come and do a live interview to address these issues on air, head-to-head. You clearly tried to create the impression I was unwilling to do so."

A spokesman for the channel said Mr Goldsmith was given ample opportunity to respond to the report, after they contacted him a week before it showed.

Mr Goldsmith said he did not provide a comment before because he did not believe the programme would be aired because the allegations were so flimsy, and because it originally involved a number of MPs.

He also did not believe his comment would go in unedited, but did offer a live interview as soon as they confirmed it was being shown and that he was the only MP implicated.

The eventual interview soon descended into a shouting match, before Mr Goldsmith said the Electoral Commission had one of three options.

He said: "Either they will decide not to look at it, in which case you want to watch it. Or they will decide to look at it and give me a green, light, in which case you want to watch it. Or they will look at it and find out there's something wrong."

At which point Mr Snow interrupted and said: "In which case, you'll have to watch it."

Mr Goldsmith said: "I will make a formal complaint to Ofcom on Monday (today). I’m told by legal experts that I have a very strong case. As far as I can see, it is water tight.

"Regarding the election expenses, that will be led by the Electoral Commission. I am hoping they’ll get on the case soon, to bring this to an end."