BURNLEY MP Peter Pike today defended voting to give himself a £9,000 pay rise and challenged those government ministers who had voted against not to accept their own bigger increases.

He joined Blackburn's Jack Straw and Rossendale and Darwen's Janet Anderson in defying Labour leader Tony Blair who urged them to take three per cent instead.

Pendle MP Gordon Prentice, Hyndburn's Greg Pope and Ribble Valley Tory Nigel Evans all voted for the smaller increase. Mr Pike claimed that he would actually be out of pocket because by supporting a cut in the top mileage rate from 74.1p a mile to 47.2p he would lose more in expenses than he would gain in pay. Mr Pike said: "I voted for it because I believe the pay rise is justified. I also voted for the cut in car expenses which will leave me out of pocket. As a former shop steward I believe in getting pay as pay rather than perks.

"If we had stuck to the original pay formula agreed in 1983 we would be paid slightly less than the new award which suggests it was right."

He then turned to ministerial salaries and referred to those ministers of state who would see their pay rise immediately by £17,000 to £74,000 and those junior ministers whose salaries will go up by £17,000 to £67,000 who voted against the rise.

He said: "Those ministers on the pay roll vote who voted against the increase will, I hope, not take it."

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