The British Prime Minister MrTony Blair has come under fire for awarding himself a pay rise of nearly £50,000 sterling.
Mr Blair ended the tradition of waiving a proportion of his and his Cabinet ministers' salary by announcing he will receive £163,418 per annum, while some of his top team will each get £117,979.
The Liberal Democrats described the move as a "self-inflicted wound" while a major teaching union criticised the premier's timing so soon after the election.
The announcement, which coincides with the final line-up for the Government, follows an independent study earlier this year which called for an end to the "distorted" parliamentary pay system.
Since Labour came to power in 1997, MrBlair had waived 41 per centof his pay while cabinet ministers had foregone 21 per cent .
The Prime Minister, who previously earned £116,339, will now be paid £163,418 a year. Members of the Cabinet, who were previously paid £99,793 including their MP's salary, will now earn £117,979, while Cabinet ministers in the Lords will see an increase from £74,911 to £88,562.
Malcolm Bruce, chair of the Liberal Democrat Parliamentary Party, said last night:"This is a self-inflicted wound. It was hypocritical to hold down pay levels until after the election.
"Does this imply that the Prime Minister thought he wasn't up for the job in the last Parliament or that winning the lowest share of the popular vote in history now justifies a pay rise?"
In March, the Senior Salaries Review Body said Mr Blair should end the freeze on Cabinet salaries after finding that in some cases ministers earned just a fifth of what comparable counterparts in the private sector took home.
The report said: "We note that the Prime Minister and Cabinet ministers do not yet draw the full salary to which they are entitled.
"This action distorts the parliamentary pay system and creates inequity.
"While recognising the Government's motive of setting an example of moderation, we would hope that this distortion will be remedied as soon as possible."
PA