A UNION leader has called for a “serious” government that “doesn’t trash” the Civil Service.

Dave Penman, general secretary of the FDA, which represents senior civil servants, says that whoever is in power after the election should give the Civil Service the “stability it craves.”

His demands include “clear objectives with the right resources and crucially, the freedom to manage them” as well as “fair reward to recruit, retain and motivate committed public servants.”