DO you think our MPs have earned themselves a pay rise?

A leaked report suggests members of all parties could be in line for a £6,000 pay boost over the next three years - a near-10 per cent increase, which has led to national headlines about "greedy" and "selfish" MPs.

But mid-Worcestershire Tory MP Peter Luff has defended the planned increase, pointing to the paltry increases MPs have received in recent years.

"How is this a scandal?" he said. "After years of pay increases significantly below other workers, we've fallen about £4,000-£6,000 behind where we should be. We've lost quite a lot."

Mr Luff said MPs' pay has risen below inflation every year for the past six years, culminating in last year's increase of 0.66 per cent. The near-10 per cent rise has been recommended by an independent body - the Senior Salaries Review Board - which says MPs' pay should be increased from £60,675 to more than £66,000 over the next three years, to catch up with increases in prices.

The final decision will be made by MPs themselves, in a free vote in the House of Commons later this year.

"I take a very simple view," Mr Luff said. "Independent pay review bodies are there for a purpose, and whether it's for police, nurses or MPs, their views should be respected. What's the point in paying these people to look at salaries if you just ignore what they say?"

Sir Michael Spicer, Conservative MP for West-Worcestershire, said any increase in salary could be coupled with a reduction in allowances.

"In some cases I think MPs' allowances are high, and could be brought down," he said.

"On the other hand, MPs' salaries have been going down in real terms for several years now - it's possible salaries could be restored, but the total cost of MPs to the taxpayer reduced."

However, Worcester's Labour MP Mike Foster said the public would be deeply unimpressed if MPs decided to give themselves an above-inflation pay hike.

"If MPs say yes, this is what we deserve', we will be pilloried," Mr Foster said.

"There are large sections of the population that believe MPs shouldn't get paid at all, it seems. In the end it's not a Government issue, it's up to individual MPs - but the Government will have a view.

"We have had to take tough decisions on public sector pay this year and I think we have to try to be uniform and consistent, and say pay rises of about two per cent are the norm for public workers - and that includes MPs."

Mr Spicer and Mr Foster refused to say whether they would accept the suggested rise until a final report is issued.