A PAY rise for MPs is "wholly inappropriate" and "frankly insulting", according to local MP Neale Hanvey.

And the Alba politician said the 2.9 per cent hike in salary should never have been agreed while so many people face hardship due to the cost of living crisis.

The pay rise for all 650 members of the House of Commons will take effect from April, bringing the overall salary from £84,144 to £86,584.

But Mr Hanvey, who represents Kirkcaldy and Cowdenbeath, fumed: "In the face of a decade long pay freeze – an effective cut in wages – and the appalling anti-strike legislation, I think any increase for MPs is wholly inappropriate, and frankly insulting to everyone struggling to heat their homes or pay their weekly shopping bill.

"Any proposal should have gone to a vote in the commons chamber and anyone who thinks it is right can put their name to it.

"Being denied this is a disgrace."

The Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority (IPSA) set pay for MPs and said the increase would be the same as the average rise for public sector workers last year.

Douglas Chapman, MP for Dunfermline and West Fife, said: "I am well aware that a lot of people are struggling to get by, not just here in Dunfermline and West Fife, but all over our country.

"These financial pressures are reflected in the number and complexity of cases that are being presented to me by constituents.

"In Scotland, the majority of public service pay claims are being met by the Scottish Government although, as of today, the teacher’s pay claim has still to be settled.

"For all concerned – parents, school students and teachers – I hope that this dispute can be resolved soon.

"As for MPs, our salaries are decided each year by IPSA and we have no say in what IPSA recommends.

"This year they have recommended an increase of 2.9 per cent which is a lower increase than most sectors."

The salary increase for MPs comes as households across the country grapple with cost-of-living pressures, with the government also facing a wave of industrial action by nurses, railway workers, teachers and others as part of ongoing disputes over pay.

Richard Lloyd, IPSA’s chairman, said: “In confirming MPs’ pay for next year, we have once again considered very carefully the extremely difficult economic circumstances, the government’s evolving approach to public sector pay in the light of forecasted rates of inflation, and the principle that MPs’ pay should be reflective of their responsibility in our democracy.

“Our aim is to ensure that pay is fair for MPs, regardless of their financial circumstances, to support the most diverse of parliaments.

“Serving as an MP should not be the preserve of those wealthy enough to fund it themselves. It is important for our democracy that people from any background should see representing their communities in parliament as a possibility.”

IPSA was created in 2009, largely as a response to the MPs’ expenses scandal, in a bid to make the payments more transparent and reach independent decisions on salaries.