Principal Private Secretary to the Prime Minister appointed by Theresa May on 10 May 2017. During Tony Blair's administration, he modified the law under which the Civil Service operated to create the role of Downing Street Chief of Staff, which though held by a political advisor outranked the Principal Private Secretary. When Gordon Brown ascended to office, he reversed the change to the Civil Service law. When David Cameron became Prime Minister, he promoted the then-PPS to a new post of "Permanent Secretary, Downing Street", a position which took over heading the Prime Minister's Office. In 2012, the postholder, Jeremy Heywood, was appointed as Cabinet Secretary, this
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