MPs vote for a 21% rise in staff allowance

Taxpayers will have to come up with an extra £3million a year after MPs voted to increase their allowances for staff.

Less than two weeks after their huge expenses claims sparked public anger, backbenchers defied the advice of their independent pay body to increase the allowance by £14,000 a year.

MPs' staff costs will now soar by 21 per cent from ?66,458 at present to a maximum of £80,000 for all MPs.

Commons Leader Peter Hain had wanted the increase to be restricted to London MPs because of higher costs in employing staff. He warned the bill for giving all backbenchers the extra money would be "between £2 million and £3 million". But MPs voted by 239 to 109 to defy the Government and the independent Senior Salaries Review Body.

The new staffing allowance can now also be used towards office costs, another move opposed by ministers. Mr Hain said that such a practice would "undermine the principle that the staffing allowance should be ring-fenced".

MPs were criticised last month when it emerged taxpayers fund up to ?78million in their salaries, office and travel costs. An average backbencher claims £118,000 a year in extras.