Harriet Harman becomes the first woman to run Britain since Thatcher as she covers for Brown during his holidays

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Harriet Harman is to stand in for Gordon Brown while the prime minister is on holiday, it emerged today.

The deputy leader of the Labour party takes over the levers of power from Monday for the first of Mr Brown's three-week summer break.

Ms Harman has already issued a series of demands to Downing Street officials as she prepares to take control as the first woman to take charge of the country since Margaret Thatcher.

But there was still some confusion surrounding her position.

No10 had briefed that Chancellor Alistair Darling and Justice Secretary Jack Straw would stand at the helm of government during Mr Brown’s break in Suffolk, while Ms Harman was not mentioned.

When she swept to victory in the race to become deputy leader last year, Mr Brown's aides briefed that she would not stand in at Prime Minister's Questions and would not cover for him at No.10.

Since then, Ms Harman has appeared at the weekly Commons' session on two occasions and has even surprised Tories with her dogged performances.

But the Peckham MP's list of demands for her time in Downing Street are said to have caused tension among the Prime Minister's officials.

She has asked to called every night at 10.30pm by a press officer to run through the first editions of the next day's newspapers.

The Commons Leader also wants her private secretary and special advisors to be included in a 7.30am conference call followed by a 9am meeting around the Cabinet table.

Ms Harman will also be taking part in one publicity event over the course of next week.

But the PM’s official spokesman played down this idea, saying: 'The Prime Minister is the Prime Minister and remains in charge whether he is on holiday or not.

'There will always be a senior Cabinet figure around to deal with what needs to be dealt with, but he will be kept closely informed.'

Insiders say Ms Harman will throw her hat into the ring if Gordon Brown steps down from the Labour leadership.