Civil Service (United Kingdom) programme itself. The position of 'Minister for the Civil Service' is not part of the Civil Service as it is a political position which has always been held by the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. The highest ranking civil servant in the country is the Cabinet Secretary. A subsidiary title that was also held by the incumbent was "Head of the Home Civil Service" or more recently sometimes styled "Head of the Civil Service", who until recently was also the incumbent Cabinet Secretary and Permanent Secretary of the Cabinet Office. However, following the Coalition Government of David Cameron the
Council of Civil Service Unions v Minister for the Civil Service Council of Civil Service Unions v Minister for the Civil Service Council of Civil Service Unions v Minister for the Civil Service [1984] UKHL 9, or the "GCHQ case", is a UK constitutional law and UK labour law case that held the Royal Prerogative was subject to judicial review. In 1984, the government of Margaret Thatcher banned employees of the Government Communications Headquarters (GCHQ) from joining any trade union for "national security" reasons by an Order in Council using the Royal Prerogative. The Council of Civil Service Unions claimed in judicial review that defeated their legitimate expectations, to collectively bargain