MP's pay rise?

MP's are supposedly seeking a pay rise of 22%. These reports have been denied by Ann Clywd, a backbench Labour MP.

Do they deserve this pay rise? IMO, no. The average wage in the United Kingdom is about £23/24,000. A backbench MP earns about £60,000. Since they already earn more than the average Joe, I see no reason to complain. One argument in favour of increasing MP's salary is that legislature members in Europe get paid higher. So what? Being an MP isn't like other vocations. In other industries, companies may be competitive in paying staff, since they want the best employees. An MP in the House of Commons isn't competing for his/her job with a member of the Bundestag in Germany.

Also, in a libertarian Britain, government would be a lot smaller than it is today. Fewer laws would be passed, so Parliament wouldn't need to sit for as many weeks. MP's in such a system would probably have another job, whilst being an MP. In that sense, pay wouldn't be as relevant, as it appears now.