Cabinet list so far:
Details of the Conservative-Liberal Democrat coalition government are beginning to emerge. Here is a guide to the key cabinet posts confirmed so far.
PRIME MINISTER - DAVID CAMERON
David Cameron
'New direction for UK'
Conservative David Cameron was virtually unknown outside Westminster
when he was elected Tory leader in December 2005 at the age of 39.
The Old Etonian had dazzled that year's party conference with his youthful
dynamism and charisma, reportedly telling journalists he was the "heir
to Blair".
He has sought to match the former PM by putting the Conservatives at
the centre ground of British politics.
Before becoming leader, he was the Conservatives' campaign co-ordinator
at the 2005 general election and shadow education secretary.
He was special adviser to Home Secretary Michael Howard and Chancellor
Norman Lamont in the 1990s before spending seven years as a public relations
executive with commercial broadcaster Carlton.
DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER - NICK CLEGG
Nick Clegg
'Fairer taxes, better schools'
In just five years, Liberal Democrat Nick Clegg, at 43 the same age
as Mr Cameron, has gone from political obscurity to the absolute front
line of British politics.
After becoming MP for Sheffield Hallam at the 2005 election, he was
promoted to Europe spokesman, before moving on to the home affairs role.
When Sir Menzies Campbell resigned as leader in 2007, he entered the
race to succeed him, in the end narrowly beating Chris Huhne.
He has campaigned against the government over civil liberties and opposed
the Conservatives' spending cuts plans, attempting to create a distance
between the Lib Dems and what he calls the "old parties".
But he really came to prominence during the televised debates ahead
of the general elections, being judged in polls to have been the big winner
of the first one.
However, this appeared to do little to help the Lib Dems when they
actually lost seats on 6 May. The party, though, retained enough MPs to
become the vital players in the hung parliament.
FOREIGN SECRETARY - WILLIAM HAGUE
William Hague
'There will be distinctive British foreign policy'
Since he returned to the shadow cabinet in 2005, Conservative William
Hague has become a key adviser to David Cameron, and was seen as de facto
deputy party leader.
The new foreign secretary has plenty of experience to call upon, having
been Tory leader himself from 1997 to 2001 and shadow foreign secretary
until the election.
A witty and engaging Commons performer who is popular with grassroots
Tory members, Mr Hague entered Parliament in 1989 having been special adviser
to Chancellor Sir Geoffrey Howe. He was soon promoted to be a social security
minister and in 1995 entered the Cabinet as Secretary of State for Wales.
In addition to his duties as shadow foreign secretary, Mr Cameron put
Mr Hague in charge of rebuilding the party in the North of England, as
chairman of its Northern Board.
Mr Hague has said that as foreign secretary, he is determined to put
in place a "distinctive British foreign policy" and the situation in Afghanistan
is a priority.
CHANCELLOR - GEORGE OSBORNE
George Osborne
'It's time to roll up the sleeves'
One of David Cameron's closest friends and Conservative allies, George
Osborne rose rapidly after becoming MP for Tatton in 2001.
Michael Howard promoted him from shadow chief secretary to the Treasury
to shadow chancellor in May 2005, at the age of 34.
Mr Osborne took a key role in the election campaign and has been at
the forefront of the debate on how to deal with the recession and the UK's
spending deficit.
Even before Mr Cameron became leader the two were being likened to
Labour's Blair/Brown duo. The two have emulated them by becoming prime
minister and chancellor, but will want to avoid the spats.
Before entering Parliament, he was a special adviser in the agriculture
department when the Tories were in government and later served as political
secretary to William Hague.
The BBC understands that as chancellor, Mr Osborne, along with the
Treasury will retain responsibility for overseeing banks and financial
regulation.
Mr Osborne said the coalition government was planning to change the
tax system "to make it fairer for people on low and middle incomes", and
undertake "long-term structural reform" of the banking sector, education
and the welfare state.
HOME SECRETARY AND MINISTER FOR WOMEN AND EQUALITY - THERESA MAY
Theresa May
Theresa May is the biggest winner so far in job allocated in the new
cabinet, becoming only the second woman to hold the post of Home Secretary.
She was the first woman to become Conservative Party chairman, under
the leadership of Iain Duncan Smith.
She then took up the culture and family portfolios before being made
shadow Commons leader by David Cameron.
She has been a keen advocate of positive action to recruit more women
Tories to winnable seats and was a key architect of the "A list" of preferred
candidates.
A passionate moderniser with an exotic taste in shoes, she famously
ruffled feathers when she told Tory activists they were seen as members
of the "nasty party".
Mrs May was the shadow work and pensions minister ahead of the election.
DEFENCE SECRETARY - DR LIAM FOX
Liam Fox
'Priority has to be to look after our Armed Forces'
The former GP came third in the 2005 party leadership contest, presenting
himself as a candidate of the right.
A popular figure with the party's grassroots, he was co-chairman during
the 2005 general election but was moved to the shadow foreign secretary
portfolio in May.
Under both William Hague and Iain Duncan Smith, he served as shadow
health secretary.
And when the Conservatives were in government in the 1990s, Dr Fox
was a whip and later a Foreign Office minister.
As shadow defence secretary he has led his party's criticism of funding
for the armed forces under Gordon Brown and he retains that brief as the
party moves into government.
He has said that he will start a Strategic Defence Review into Britain's
Armed Forces immediately.
LORD CHANCELLOR AND SECRETARY OF STATE FOR JUSTICE - KEN CLARKE
Ken Clarke
'I was a lawyer, many years ago'
Mr Cameron has previously said that Mr Clarke was a "big figure" with
"great experience". He was the last chancellor to lead the UK out of recession
- during the John Major government of the 1990s.
His return to the Tory frontbench last year was seen as somewhat of
a gamble for Mr Cameron given that Mr Clarke - who held a host of ministerial
jobs in the Thatcher and Major governments - had staunchly pro-European
views.
These views were widely seen to be the reason for his failure to win
the three party leadership contests he entered - but Mr Cameron decided
that Mr Clarke's experience was worth the risk of reopening party splits.
Mr Clarke was president of the union at Cambridge, became a QC in 1980
and after a succession of junior ministerial jobs he served as health,
education and home secretaries before becoming chancellor from 1993 to
1997.
HEALTH SECRETARY - ANDREW LANSLEY
Andrew Lansley
The former civil servant became an active Conservative in the 1980s
after a spell as private secretary to Norman Tebbit.
In 1990 he became head of the Conservative Research Department and
was one of the architects of the Tories' surprise 1992 election victory.
However, he later faced criticism for his central role in the disastrous
2001 poll campaign.
He returned to the shadow cabinet in 2003 under Michael Howard as shadow
health secretary, the role he continues to hold under David Cameron.
Mr Cameron had long guaranteed Mr Lansley - who has played a key role
in convincing people that the NHS is a high priority for the Conservatives
- the role of health secretary in a government led by him.
EDUCATION SECRETARY - MICHAEL GOVE
Michael Gove
Tory Michael Gove was seen as one of the brightest talents in the 2005
intake. The former Times journalist is a key member of David Cameron's
inner circle who helps write many of his speeches.
As the Tories' housing spokesman, Mr Gove made a name for himself as
an effective Commons performer in attacks on the government's home information
packs.
He was drafted into the shadow cabinet, as children, schools and families
spokesman, at the age of 39 when his leader split the education brief in
two to reflect Gordon Brown's Whitehall changes.
Mr Gove headed the Policy Exchange think tank for three years before
landing the safe seat of Surrey Heath.
He had previously said he was prepared to give up a post in the new
Cabinet to ensure the deal with the Lib Dems went ahead, but he sticks
with the education brief in government.
BUSINESS SECRETARY - VINCE CABLE
Vince Cable
Cable delighted
Vince Cable has had a long journey to reach the front rank of politics,
having first been a Labour and then SDP supporter before its merger with
the Liberals to become the Liberal Democrats.
An economist by trade, he entered Parliament as MP for Twickenham in
1997 and has gradually built up his powerbase among the Lib Dems.
As the party's deputy leader and Treasury spokesman he saw his stock
rising during the credit crunch because of his earlier warnings.
When he stood in as temporary leader after the resignation of Sir Menzies
Campbell, he memorably described Gordon Brown as going from "Stalin to
Mr Bean".
He is also expected to be a member of a new ministerial committee which
is dedicated to creating banking policy, and chaired by the chancellor.
WORK AND PENSIONS - IAIN DUNCAN SMITH
Iain Duncan Smith
This is a return to the frontline for former Conservative leader Iain
Duncan Smith, the MP for Chingford and Woodford Green.
Mr Duncan Smith rose to the top incredibly quickly, having been first
elected in 1992 without any prior government experience.
He was notable in his first Parliament as one of few new MPs to join
the Maastricht rebellions against then Tory leader John Major.
A former army officer who saw active service in Northern Ireland, he
was a shadow defence secretary under William Hague.
He beat competition from another new Cabinet colleague, Kenneth Clarke,
to take on the party leadership role in September 2001.
In November 2002, he urged his party to "unite or die" in response
to persistent whisperings of a challenge to his leadership, but a year
later he was ousted after narrowly failing to win the backing of enough
MPs in a vote of confidence.
After losing the Tory leadership, he has re-established himself with
his centre-right think tank Centre for Social Justice, which has played
an influential role in developing Conservative policy on welfare and the
"broken society".
ENERGY AND CLIMATE CHANGE - CHRIS HUHNE
Chris Huhne
'Huhne's 'passion' over climate change'
Chris Huhne is set to become Energy and Climate Change Secretary, the
BBC understands. Like Nick Clegg, Mr Huhne entered Parliament in 2005.
He also attended the same school - the exclusive Westminster public school
- and served as a Member of the European Parliament.
They have much in common, but they fought a close - and sometimes angry
- campaign for the leadership in 2007.
Afterwards Mr Huhne, who had been environment spokesman, was promoted
to the home affairs brief. He made a fortune in the City before entering
politics, and is seen as being on the left of the party.
He was a key member of the Lib Dem team which held talks about a coalition
with both Labour and the Conservatives. He would be expected to be among
the five Lib Dems in the cabinet.
CHIEF SECRETARY TO THE TREASURY - DAVID LAWS
David Laws
On the economically liberal wing of the Lib Dems, David Laws has been
an MP since 2001.
A former investment banker, he was quickly promoted to the party's
Treasury team, taking responsibility for spending commitments in the lead-up
to the 2005 election.
After that he moved to work and pensions and then, in 2007, to speak
on children, families and schools. He earned plaudits from some in the
Conservative Party in this role.
But the Yeovil MP was relatively low profile until he became part of
the Lib Dem negotiating team following the hung parliament which resulted
from the election.
His new role, working as part of Chancellor George Osborne's Treasury
team, is set to be a key one given the stated coalition priority of reducing
the UK government's deficit.
SCOTTISH SECRETARY - DANNY ALEXANDER
Danny Alexander
Danny Alexander was Nick Clegg's chief of staff and the Liberal Democrats'
campaign co-ordinator throughout the election.
He was also the former media chief of pro-euro campaign group Britain
in Europe, which brought together leading Labour and Lib Dem voices with
business groups.
First elected to Parliament in 2005, he rose to prominence when Mr
Clegg became party leader in 2007.
He was the author of the party's 2010 election manifesto.
The Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch and Strathspey MP won one of 11 seats
for the Lib Dems in Scotland.
CHIEF WHIP - PATRICK MCLOUGHLIN
Patrick McLoughlin
Patrick McLoughlin - the Tory chief whip while the party was in opposition,
will carry on as the Government Chief Whip.
The former miner is the MP for Derbyshire Dales.
When the Conservatives were in power, he was a minister at the departments
of transport, employment, trade and industry, and in the whips' office.
In opposition, he became deputy chief whip in 1998.
Mr McLoughlin's mother was a factory worker and he worked as a farm
labourer before following his father and grandfather into the pits.
He spoke out against Arthur Scargill in the miners' strike.
COMMUNITIES AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT SECRETARY - ERIC PICKLES
Eric Pickles
Eric Pickles was first elected to the Commons in 1992, representing
an Essex seat far from his Yorkshire roots.
He has extensive local government experience, having led Bradford District
Council for three years up to 1991.
He has also served in a variety of shadow ministerial roles, including
transport, local government and social security spokesman, earning a reputation
for loyalty and good humour.
He boosted his reputation and profile in the party by masterminding
its landmark victory over Labour in the Crewe and Nantwich by-election
and was appointed party chairman in 2009.
And he became a regular and confident media performer in the months
leading up to the 2010 general election.