Sir Keir Starmer faces clashing with unions if MPs get a pay rise of 4.2%.
This is more than the 2.8% offered to teachers and nurses next year.
MPs’ pay is currently £91,346, after a 5.5% rise this year.
A wider review of MPs’ pay will be done by the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority (Ipsa) before a decision is made.
The body, which regulates and administers MPs’ staffing and business costs, is legally obliged to conduct this audit in the first year of a new Parliament.
The deadline for that is July.
But a higher increase than the government is recommending for other parts of the public sector is likely to spark fury among unions.
Unions have reacted with anger to proposals for a 2.8% pay increase for teachers, NHS staff and senior civil servants next year
Inflation – which measures price changes over time – is predicted to average 2.6% next year.
The pay recommendations will now be considered by public sector pay review bodies and a final decision made by the government next year.
An Ipsa spokesman said: “By law, IPSA must review MPs’ pay in the first year of each new Parliament.
“This work is underway, and we plan to consult publicly on our proposals in late spring.
“In general, any change to MPs’ pay are based upon a number of metrics, including national statistics on pay and reward, our own principles, and the wider economic context.”
