Welsh MPs call for more money

MPs are currently paid around £48,000

Five Welsh MPs have joined calls to have their allowances increased as a "matter of urgency".

MPs are currently paid around £48,000 a year but more than 100 members say that is not enough to provide their constituents with an efficient service.

They say many politicians have had to pay staff out of their own pockets.

Welsh Labour MPs Julie Morgan, Ann Clwyd, Huw Edwards and Jackie Lawrence have joined Liberal Democrat Lembit Opik among the 103 Westminster politicians who said their allowances should be increased.

'Reasonable rates'

The call comes despite beliefs in some quarters that MPs have less responsibilities since the National Assembly for Wales was set up.

However, the MPs say recent figures showed 80 colleagues overspent their present budget and had to pay support staff and office fees from their own pockets.

The Commons motion has called for the matter needs to be dealt with urgently.

The motion says MPs "should be adequately supported in providing their constituents with the efficient and high quality service to which they are entitled, whilst offering reasonable rates of pay to their staff".