CIVIL servants made it clear today that they will not be used as “vote fodder” in the Tory leadership contest.

The warning, from their union PCS, comes after the party’s leadership candidate Kemi Badenoch said that one in 10 civil servants were “so bad” they should be in prison. 

Ms Badenoch, speaking at a party conference fringe event held by The Spectator on Tuesday, accused civil servants of “leaking official secrets” and “undermining ministers.”

The North West Essex MP, who served in several government departments when the Conservatives were in charge, said: “There’s about 5 to 10 per cent of them who are very, very bad, you know … should be in prison bad.”

She added that it was “usually union-led.”

Ms Badenoch had already faced backlash earlier this week for suggesting that statutory maternity pay, at £184 a week, was “excessive.”

A PCS spokesperson said: “Kemi Badenoch just can’t let it lie, can she? When she was in power she was accused of bullying civil servants. 

“Now she’s out of power she’s continuing her personal feud against them, many of whom are our members. 

“This is a below-the-belt attack on hard-working civil servants who can’t answer back.

“We won’t stand for our members being used as vote fodder for the Tory Party leadership.”

Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster Pat McFadden said: “Not only are the prisons close to collapse because of Tory failure, but the continuity leadership candidates are still blaming everyone else for their record.

“Civil servants work hard for the country every day and deserve better.”