he moved into government when labour won the general election in may 1997 and served as the prime minister's chief press secretary until 2000. in government, he implemented many radical changes to both procedure and operational management. he persuaded cabinet secretary sir robin butler that government communications had to be modernised, and the government set up the mountfield review. he created a strategic communications unit which gave downing street the power to co-ordinate all government activity, using what became known as "the grid" as its main apparatus. he set up a rapid rebuttal unit similar to the one he had used in opposition. he put downing street briefings on record for the first time, and although he was only identified as "the prime minister's official spokesman", he became one of the most high-profile and written about figures in british politics, earning the epithet "the real deputy prime minister". he opened briefings to the foreign media, among a raft of modernisation and efficiency strategies he introduced.