Gordon Brown told members of parliament today to keep their own pay increases this year below the rate of inflation, in solidarity with nurses, teachers and policeman whose pay hikes have been restricted.
MPs decide their own pay increases in a House of Commons vote but Brown's comments will make it difficult for MPs to award themselves an above-inflation pay increase, as they have done in previous years.
"Government ministers must have a rate of pay increase that is below 2 percent - 1.9 percent. At the same time, my recommendation is that that is what goes for MPs," Mr Brown told the BBC's Andrew Marrshow.
"We must show exactly the same discipline that we ask of other people. The recommendations for significant pay rises will be rejected. It is very important that we send a message to nurses and police and all these people in the public sector."
Reports that a salaries review body had recommended a 2.8 per cent increase in MPs' pay angered police, nurses and other public sector employees who have been told their own pay rises must stay below a 2 per cent ceiling this year to keep inflation at bay.
Mr Brown said he would have liked to have paid the police, teachers and nurses more.
"It is very important in this year that we break the back of inflation. In future years, we will do better by the police, we can do better by nurses and teachers, we will do better by the army," he added.
Mr Brown said restraint on public sector pay had been a key factor in allowing the Bank of England some flexibility on interest rates. The Bank recently lowered rates.