“It’s about time politicians got off the backs of civil servants, recognised their value and professionalism, paid them fairly and at least attempted to match the resources allocated to the demands of government,” Penman said.
He criticised politicians who “focus on failure and ignore success. Those who fail to recognise the unprecedented demand being placed on the shoulders of our members, with resources cut by a third. Those who talk about matching demand to resource until they dream up a new initiative. Those who seek to blame civil servants who can’t answer back for the failures of policy rather than delivery.”
Penman continued by criticising “those who want a world-class civil service and point to examples abroad, but refuse to countenance salaries that are even a fraction of those in other countries. And those that believe accountability means hand-picking your own team and dismissing the careers of life-long public servants on the basis of whim.”
A Cabinet Office spokesman said: "Civil Service reform is driven by what civil servants themselves have been asking for – a leaner, more efficient organisation that rewards high performers and values innovation and creativity.
“We need a Civil Service that delivers the best for Britain. That’s why, in 2012, we published a Civil Service Reform Plan, agreed by ministers and senior civil servants, setting out practical actions to address long-standing weaknesses and build on strengths.”