David Cameron has made no changes to the most powerful positions in his cabinet in a defiant start to building the first majority Tory government in 18 years.
Hours after his party shocked pollsters and commentators with a 331-seat return to government, the prime minister called in a line-up of familiar big-hitters to No 10.
During the election campaign, Cameron placed great focus on the importance of continuity in goverment – and the decision to reappoint his four most senior ministers will underline his determination to stay the course.
George Osborne and Theresa May, both tipped by Cameron himself as potential future leaders of the Conservative party, will retain their posts as chancellor and home secretary respectively.
In addition, Osborne becomes first secretary of state, effectively replacing Nick Clegg’s vacated role as deputy prime minister after the Liberal Democrat leader witnessed the collapse of his party’s support at the polls.
May has overseen some of the most high-profile and controversial reforms of the past five years, including the Counter-Terrorism and Security Act and Immigration Act.
Reacting to her reappointment, May said: “There is more to do and I’m keen to get on and do it”.
Philip Hammond remains as foreign secretary and will lead the negotiations with the European Union before the in/out referendum expected by 2017.
And wrapping up a muted finish to an exhilarating day, Michael Fallon was appointed as defence secretary.
While Osborne and May held their positions for the full five years of the last parliamentary term, Hammond and Fallon had shorter stints in their ministries. The foreign secretary moved from the Ministry of Defence to replace William Hague in July last year. Fallon then stepped in to replace him as defence secretary.
Hammond said: “I’ve set out before the election the big challenges I think the Foreign Office has to face over the coming years – the challenge of extremist, Islamist terrorism; the challenge of a resurgent Russia, ever more aggressive in its dealings with its neighbours; and the challenge of renegotiating our relationship with the European Union.
“These will be the big three challenges for this department over the coming months and years and I look forward to getting back into the office and getting on with those challenges.”
Cameron was expected to wait until Monday to appoint the rest of his cabinet, with more junior jobs being shared out later in the week.
The prime minister has a greater scope for patronage among Conservative MPs now that he no longer has to make space in his cabinet for Lib Dem MPs, as well as a dozen or more in the lower ministerial ranks.
