General Randall was the British liaison to NATO in 1999. He was in charge of the military designated to deal with any problems resulting from the Y2K bug.
Prime Minister Terry Brooks worked with the Voracians to cause a Y2K crisis and then frame General Randall for doing it as part of an attempted coup. Brooks could then cut funding for the armed forces, freeing money for his reform plans. The plot was stopped and Randall's reputation was saved by the Fourth Doctor. (PROSE: Millennium Shock)