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{{Infobox Individual
{{Infobox Individual
|image           = [[Image:DRiley.JPG|250px]]
|image             = Denise Riley CoE.jpg
|individual name = Denise Riley
|species          = Human
|alias          = Home Secretary, Prime Minister
|job              = Home Secretary
|race           = Human
|job2              = Prime Minister of the United Kingdom
|home planet    = Earth
|affiliation      = British government
|home era        = Early 21st century
|affiliation2      = Home Office
|appearances     = [[TW]]: [[Day Four (Children of Earth)|Day Four]] [[Day Five (Children of Earth)|Day Five]]
|origin           = [[Earth]]
|actor           = [[Deborah Findlay]]
|brother          = Denise Riley's brother{{!}}Brother
|child            = Denise Riley's children{{!}}Children
|first cs          = Children of Earth: Day Three (TV story)
|appearances       = {{il|[[TV]]: {{cs|Children of Earth: Day Four (TV story)}}|[[TV]]: {{cs|Children of Earth: Day Five (TV story)}}|[[PROSE]]: {{cs|Torchwood: The Encyclopedia (reference book)}}|[[COMIC]]: {{cs|Don't Step on the Grass (comic story)}}}}
|main actor       = Deborah Findlay
}}
}}
'''Denise Riley''' was the [[Home Secretary]] in the [[Cabinet of the United Kingdom|Cabinet]] of [[Brian Green]] during [[the 456]] incident in [[2009]], and later, [[Prime Minister of the United Kingdom|Prime Minister]].


'''Denise Riley MP''' was the Home Secretary and subsequently Prime Minister in the British government during the time of the 456 incident. Riley was a mother with at least two children. Riley attended a meeting of COBRA to discuss the [[456]] incident and their demand for 10% of the children of Britain.  
== Biography ==
Denise was a mother with [[Denise Riley's children|at least two children]], which caused her great anguish due to the terrible choice she had to make in order to appease the 456. She also had a [[Denise Riley's brother|brother]] with [[Denise Riley's brother's children|at least two children]] of his own.


Riley successfully managed to keep her own children out of selection, but was unable to keep her nieces and nephews safe. Riley suggested to Prime Minister [[Brian Green]] that they should select the bottom 10% achievers of the schools and give them to the 456. Believing that those who work harder will staff the hospitals, offices and factories of the future and those who are graduates will be the leaders of the future. Riley said that the bottom 10% would simply drain the country with benefits and fill up prisons.  
She was appointed [[Home Secretary]] by  [[Prime Minister of the United Kingdom|Prime Minister]] [[Brian Green]]. As Home Secretary, she attended a meeting of [[COBRA]] to discuss [[the 456]] incident and their demand for 10% of Britain's children. She was critical of plans put forward by [[Rick Yates]] and the [[Defence Secretary]] as impractical, and the stress of the situation caused her to snap at the rest of the Cabinet.


Riley forced Green to resign over his comments made about the crisis handling and took the office of Prime Minister.
Denise was the minister to say "what everyone else was thinking" and confirm that their children (and grandchildren) would be exempt - but could not keep her nieces and nephews safe. In response, she suggested to Prime Minister Brian Green that instead of selecting random schools, they select the bottom 10% achievers of the schools and give them to the 456. Believing that those who worked harder would staff the hospitals, offices, and factories of the future and those who graduated would be the leaders of the future, she said the bottom 10% would simply drain the country with benefits and fill up prisons. ([[TV]]: {{cs|Children of Earth: Day Four (TV story)}}) After [[Bridget Spears]] recorded Green's discussions of the 456 incident with the [[Eye-5]] contact lenses, Riley stated that she would be protected from charges of espionage and promised to have [[Lois Habiba]] released from prison, telling Green that she would be "taking charge of very many things in the days to come." ([[TV]]: {{cs|Children of Earth: Day Five (TV story)}})


* '''British Prime Minister'''
For at least a while, she remained Home Secretary as she was still in office when the [[Enochai]]-possessed trees attacked [[Greenwich Park]]. ([[COMIC]]: {{cs|Don't Step on the Grass (comic story)}}) However, one account suggested that she ultimately succeeded Green as Prime Minister. Lois Habiba was freed shortly afterwards on her authority. ([[PROSE]]: {{cs|Torchwood: The Encyclopedia (reference book)}})
* September 2010 onwards
 
* Preceded by: [[Brian Green]]
== Behind the scenes ==
* Succeeded by: incumbent
Riley is shown to be opportunistic, using Spears's blackmail of Green to her own advantage. In an interview in ''[[Torchwood Magazine]]'', [[Russell T Davies]] reflects on the role of politicians in ''Children of Earth'', and stated that it is just as much about the "venality and the lies and the secrecy and the paranoia of the government" as it is about the 456 threat. Davies notes that it is different from stories he had written for ''[[Doctor Who]]'', such as {{cs|Aliens of London (TV story)}}, because there is no significant change in government. Regarding Green's fate, he said "we didn't kill the prime minister, but we brought him down, and I'm happy enough with that. He won't be worrying about his expenses!"<ref>[[TM 17]], pp. 19-20.</ref>
[[Category:Individuals]]
 
Whether Riley actually succeeds Green as Prime Minister is left vague in ''Children of Earth'', but Green's impending downfall is strongly implied. {{cs|Torchwood: The Encyclopedia (reference book)}} makes a more explicit confirmation that Riley becomes Prime Minister, stating that Green's premiership came "crashing down" and that Riley would succeed him and ensure that both Habiba and Spears were cleared of all charges.
 
== Footnotes ==
{{Reflist}}
 
{{Prime Ministers of the United Kingdom}}
{{NameSort}}
 
[[Category:21st century individuals]]
[[Category:British prime ministers]]
[[Category:British home secretaries]]
[[Category:Human parents]]
[[Category:456 incident officials]]
[[Category:Human politicians]]
[[Category:Human politicians]]
[[Category:Human government officials]]
[[Category:British Prime Ministers]]

Latest revision as of 22:33, 2 September 2024

Denise Riley was the Home Secretary in the Cabinet of Brian Green during the 456 incident in 2009, and later, Prime Minister.

Biography[[edit] | [edit source]]

Denise was a mother with at least two children, which caused her great anguish due to the terrible choice she had to make in order to appease the 456. She also had a brother with at least two children of his own.

She was appointed Home Secretary by Prime Minister Brian Green. As Home Secretary, she attended a meeting of COBRA to discuss the 456 incident and their demand for 10% of Britain's children. She was critical of plans put forward by Rick Yates and the Defence Secretary as impractical, and the stress of the situation caused her to snap at the rest of the Cabinet.

Denise was the minister to say "what everyone else was thinking" and confirm that their children (and grandchildren) would be exempt - but could not keep her nieces and nephews safe. In response, she suggested to Prime Minister Brian Green that instead of selecting random schools, they select the bottom 10% achievers of the schools and give them to the 456. Believing that those who worked harder would staff the hospitals, offices, and factories of the future and those who graduated would be the leaders of the future, she said the bottom 10% would simply drain the country with benefits and fill up prisons. (TV: Children of Earth: Day Four [+]Loading...["Children of Earth: Day Four (TV story)"]) After Bridget Spears recorded Green's discussions of the 456 incident with the Eye-5 contact lenses, Riley stated that she would be protected from charges of espionage and promised to have Lois Habiba released from prison, telling Green that she would be "taking charge of very many things in the days to come." (TV: Children of Earth: Day Five [+]Loading...["Children of Earth: Day Five (TV story)"])

For at least a while, she remained Home Secretary as she was still in office when the Enochai-possessed trees attacked Greenwich Park. (COMIC: Don't Step on the Grass [+]Loading...["Don't Step on the Grass (comic story)"]) However, one account suggested that she ultimately succeeded Green as Prime Minister. Lois Habiba was freed shortly afterwards on her authority. (PROSE: Torchwood: The Encyclopedia [+]Loading...["Torchwood: The Encyclopedia (reference book)"])

Behind the scenes[[edit] | [edit source]]

Riley is shown to be opportunistic, using Spears's blackmail of Green to her own advantage. In an interview in Torchwood Magazine, Russell T Davies reflects on the role of politicians in Children of Earth, and stated that it is just as much about the "venality and the lies and the secrecy and the paranoia of the government" as it is about the 456 threat. Davies notes that it is different from stories he had written for Doctor Who, such as Aliens of London [+]Loading...["Aliens of London (TV story)"], because there is no significant change in government. Regarding Green's fate, he said "we didn't kill the prime minister, but we brought him down, and I'm happy enough with that. He won't be worrying about his expenses!"[1]

Whether Riley actually succeeds Green as Prime Minister is left vague in Children of Earth, but Green's impending downfall is strongly implied. Torchwood: The Encyclopedia [+]Loading...["Torchwood: The Encyclopedia (reference book)"] makes a more explicit confirmation that Riley becomes Prime Minister, stating that Green's premiership came "crashing down" and that Riley would succeed him and ensure that both Habiba and Spears were cleared of all charges.

Footnotes[[edit] | [edit source]]

  1. TM 17, pp. 19-20.