PROSPECT general secretary Mike Clancy has urged ministers to reform “barking mad” pay restraints for technical and digital specialists within the Civil Service.

He called on the government to end the “right-wing trope” against senior specialists in competitive fields to earn more than the prime minister.

In an interview with the Guardian, Mr Clancy said that the Civil Service had significant issues retaining technical experts because of the low pay and lack of progression.

He also warned the government to take more care with its approach to deregulation, and said it could risk falling foul of its own Employment Rights Act.

Prospect, which represents workers at a number of regulators, said resourcing was by far the biggest cause of delay, rather than the regulations themselves.

The Prime Minister’s chief secretary Darren Jones recently said that more risk-takers and delivery experts would create a Civil Service that “moves fast and fixes things.”