THE quango which has recommended a nine per cent pay rise for MPs has been accused of “living on another planet” by a Gwent politician.

The Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority (IPSA) published a final report on MPs’ pay and pensions yesterday following a consultation document in July.

They proposed that MPs’ salaries increase from £67,731 to £74,000 after the 2015 general election – a rise of 9.3 per cent.

Paul Murphy, the Torfaen MP, said: “That independent body seem to live on another planet. At a time when people are struggling to get by, I’d rather concentrate on the issues that matter to my constituents than talk about MPs’ pay.”

And Newport East MP Jessica Morden said the proposal was “clearly unacceptable”.

Chris Evans, MP for Islwyn, also said it was “unacceptable."

After the increase in 2015, MPs’ salaries will increase in line with average pay if IPSA's plans go ahead.

Blaenau Gwent MP Chris Smith opposed the plan and said it could not go ahead “when people are going through the biggest cost of living crisis for a generation.”

MP for Caerphilly, Wayne David, told the South Wales Argus on Monday he would give any pay increase to charity.

While David Davies, MP for Monmouth, said he was keen for politicians to take decisions on pay themselves and scrap IPSA.

Paul Flynn, MP for Newport West, declined to comment.

David Cameron, Nick Clegg and Ed Miliband are all opposed to the pay increases.

IPSA noted in their report that only their proposal on pay had been badly received.

They also recommended scaling down MPs’ resettlement payments and introducing pensions “on par” with those received by public sector workers.

The body also said there should be a change to MPs’ expenses arrangements and that representatives should publish an annual report of what they have done in Parliament.

But it was criticised by Jonathan Isaby, the Political Director of the TaxPayers’ Alliance.

He said: "In recommending this pay hike at a time when wages are stagnating for millions across the country, IPSA has demonstrated itself to be not fit for purpose. This unaccountable bureaucratic monster of a quango, which was supposed to help restore public faith in Parliament after the 2009 MPs' expenses scandal, has in fact just succeeded in turning the clock back four years."