MPs ought to be awarded a 23% pay rise, taking their salaries to £76,000, a committee of senior members chaired by Michael Martin, the Speaker, is set to recommend this week.

The MPs believe they are underpaid compared with managers in the public sector.

They are ready to put off their pay rise, however, until after the next election to avoid provoking voters at a time when other public sector workers are seeing increases capped at about 2.5%.

The submission by the committee on members’ estimates, which includes representatives of all major parties, will be presented to a government review examining parliamentary salaries, chaired by Sir John Baker.

“We are saying to Sir John that we have taken objective indicators from pay consultants who appear to point to a significant gap between what we get and what other public sector comparators are paid,” said one source close to the committee.

“All this points to something in the seventies. If now is not the right moment to raise pay because of the economic crisis, so be it, but it should be acknowledged as the rate we ought to be on. We may suggest that immediately after the election it rises to £75,000.”

The consultants concluded that MPs’ salary of £61,820 does not adequately reward them in comparison with public-sector employees in middle to senior ranks, such as a police superintendent.

They earn more than £70,000, while private sector managers with equivalent responsibility are paid six-figure salaries. However, MPs also claim generous allowances.

Baker’s recommendations are expected to be presented to Brown by the end of this month for MPs to debate in July. In the end the Commons will set its own pay.

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