Party leaders told to accept 11 per cent pay rise for MPs

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David Cameron and other party leaders have been told by the second most senior House of Commons official not to interfere in the controversy over whether MPs deserve their proposed 11 per cent pay rise.

The Deputy Speaker, Lindsay Hoyle, said the outside body set up to take over responsibility for MPs’ salaries and expenses should be allowed to make decisions without political interference.

The Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority (IPSA) has proposed that MPs’ salaries should jump from £66,396 to £74,000.

The £7,600 a year increase was condemned by leaders of all three parties.

The Education Secretary, Michael Gove, accused IPSA of being “silly” and said MPs were already well paid.

But Mr Hoyle told the BBC’s The Westminster Hour programme last night: “It isn’t in my opinion the right of leaders to say what is good for backbenchers... Don’t change the rules if you don’t quite like the result. It’s not up to leaders to start dictating, like it’s not up to me to dictate to other MPs.”