What is the Red Button?

[Sci]

Apart from the fact she apparently took control of the party and government.

The Doctor asks her if she won the election in "The Christmas Invasion," and she replies that she had a landslide victory.

So the fact that she later becomes Prime Minister is evidence of nothing other than that an election was called.

I seem to remember something about her being the most senior MP by the end of World War 3, but I may be wrong.

I don't remember any such thing. She was the only MP present in Downing Street during the Slitheen infiltration, and the Slitheen impersonating MP Joseph Green, the Acting PM, had ordered the planes that were carrying the Cabinet members back to London grounded in order to keep the Cabinet out of things.

After Number Ten was destroyed, Harriet Jones took charge of informing the public that the crisis was over, but that was as far as her authority was established to go -- completely unofficial until the election that made her PM.

 

[Starkers]

It seems highly unlikely that a provincial MP would have any access to the PM unless she was actually in the same party. Seriously the most obvious explanation is that she's from the same party as the PM, I'm not sure why it's a big deal for you to beleive she isn't, Sci?

 

[captcalhoun]

Occam's Razor, dude. Simplest explanation is she's Labour.

 

[diankra]

After Number Ten was destroyed, Harriet Jones took charge of informing the public that the crisis was over, but that was as far as her authority was established to go -- completely unofficial until the election that made her PM.

You don't need an election to become PM: the Prime Minister is, in theory, anyone the Queen (/King) chooses as their first minister; in practice that means an MP who can claim the support of a majority of (current, living) MPs; in practice that usually means the person who's been chosen as leader of the largest party in an internal party election. But those take months to organise now most parties consult the entire membership, leadng to chaos in the meantime unless...
The Queen exercises her theoretical right to nominate a PM by recognising that Harriet Jones's role in the recent crisis makes her the best candidate to manage the aftermath, but also suggests to Harriet that she should rapidly go to the country to seek a mandate of her own (apart from anything else, there might be 30 or more dead MPs among the people in Number 10 if the entire cabinet and their PPSes are dead, so holding by-elections in a 20th of the entire country almost makes a general election a given. That would also be enough to lose the government its majority, assuming that we are dealing with a Labour Government led by Tony Blair with a majority off about 66 as in the real 2006).
Harriet then seeks a vote of confiedence in the Commons and wins it (probably with some cross-party 'national government' support under the circumstances), but on the basis that a general election will be held within a few months, as soon as candidates have been selected where the sitting M has been killed, and her party has called a special conference to select a new leader (which turns out to be her).
All of which times out nicely for World War III to be late spring 2006, Harriet's election as [Labour] party leader to happen at the party conference three to four months later, followed by a mid October election before Christmas Invasion on December 25th.

 

[Sci]

After Number Ten was destroyed, Harriet Jones took charge of informing the public that the crisis was over, but that was as far as her authority was established to go -- completely unofficial until the election that made her PM.

You don't need an election to become PM: the Prime Minister is, in theory, anyone the Queen (/King) chooses as their first minister; in practice that means an MP who can claim the support of a majority of (current, living) MPs; in practice that usually means the person who's been chosen as leader of the largest party in an internal party election. But those take months to organise now most parties consult the entire membership, leadng to chaos in the meantime unless...

Yes, I know the remedial details of the Westminster system. None of which changes the fact that Harriet Jones specifically claimed to have won a landslide majority in an election held between "World War Three" and "The Christmas Invasion."

The Queen exercises her theoretical right to nominate a PM by recognising that Harriet Jones's role in the recent crisis makes her the best candidate to manage the aftermath, but also suggests to Harriet that she should rapidly go to the country to seek a mandate of her own (apart from anything else, there might be 30 or more dead MPs among the people in Number 10 if the entire cabinet and their PPSes are dead,

The Cabinet was not killed when Downing Street was destroyed. "Aliens of London" made it very clear that the Slitheen had stranded the Cabinet outside of London.

 

[Rarewolf]

The Cabinet was not killed when Downing Street was destroyed. "Aliens of London" made it very clear that the Slitheen had stranded the Cabinet outside of London.

What would happen in a Sound Of Drums situtation? A new government is formed and killed on the same day?

 

[Sci]

The Cabinet was not killed when Downing Street was destroyed. "Aliens of London" made it very clear that the Slitheen had stranded the Cabinet outside of London.

What would happen in a Sound Of Drums situtation? A new government is formed and killed on the same day?

I don't know that there's ever been a situation where the entire Cabinet and Prime Minister are killed in one day.

From what I've read of British and Commonwealth history (particularly the appointments of Harold Macmillan and the Earl of Home, and the 1975 Australian constitutional crisis), I imagine that the Queen would either appoint a prominent MP from the Saxon coalition or the Leader of the Opposition as PM, on the condition that the new PM immediately advise her to dissolve Parliament and call a new election. But that's just my guess.

 

[captcalhoun]

considering only ONE PM has ever been assassinated in Britain... No, nothing remotely like TSOD has happened.

 

[diankra]

The Cabinet was not killed when Downing Street was destroyed. "Aliens of London" made it very clear that the Slitheen had stranded the Cabinet outside of London.

Too long since I saw that one, obviously.
That would make the most sensible explanation that (making the Blair/Labour assumption about the government) John Prescott, as deputy leader, would become acting leader and PM, but that he either lost or more likely didn't stand in the party election, allowing Harriet to win that and than call an election in late 2006.
Of course, that still leaves the very big mystery of why the Slitheen didn't simply skin Prescott when they realised the PM was too skinny - he does have the perfect build for their use!

 

[Starkers]

considering only ONE PM has ever been assassinated in Britain... No, nothing remotely like TSOD has happened.

Ah poor old Spencer Perceval...no JFK style conspiracy theories around him...

I agree btw, the simplest explanation is that Harriet is Labour.