The Cabinet

A close friend of David Cameron and the chief architect of the Tory's election campaign. Has served as Shadow Chancellor since Michael Howard took on the party's leadership and retained the role upon the election of Mr Cameron as party leader.

Speculation had mounted he would be given a lesser cabinet position were the Tories to form a Government but he has been kept in the Chancellor's role where he will lead efforts to cut the deficit, and oversee reforms of banking and financial services.

Foreign Secretary

William Hague

The long-serving Tory MP for Richmond is one of the most popular politicians among the party's grassroots supporters.

He stepped forward to lead the Tories following the party's rout in the 1997 General Election before standing down following defeat in the election of 2001.

Mr Hague has been a key member of David Cameron's team since returning to frontline politics in 2005 and is often described as the de facto Conservative deputy leader.

Home Secretary

Theresa May

Only the second female Home Secretary in history and arguably the biggest surprise appointment in the Cabinet.

She became the first woman Conservative Party chairman before taking on the role of Shadow Leader of the Commons under David Cameron.

She previously served as Shadow Work and Pensions Secretary, Shadow Culture Secretary and Shadow Environment Secretary.

Has also been a leading light in the move to bring more women into the party.

Defence Secretary

Liam Fox

Another experienced and long-standing MP, he served as a party whip and foreign office minister during the 1990s when the Tories were still in office.

The former GP was shadow health secretary under both William Hague and Iain Duncan Smith before coming third in the 2005 Tory leadership contest.

Has been a vocal critic of funding for the armed forces since taking on the shadow defence brief under David Cameron and has promised a strategic defence review of the British Army.

Justice Secretary/Lord Chancellor

Ken Clarke

A former Chancellor, Health Secretary, Home Secretary and Education Secretary, Mr Clarke brings arguably more experience to the table than any other cabinet minister.

Despite three failed attempts to lead the Conservatives he has a solid reputation as a tough-talking and quick-witted politician who prefers to vote with his conscience.

Despite his staunch pro-European views, however, he has been less vocal in his conviction since rejoining the cabinet in January 2009.

Education Secretary

Michael Gove

A former journalist, his flair for the written word has seen him drafted in frequently to help to compose many of David Cameron's speeches.

Elected in 2005 as part of the so-called "Notting Hill" set of up-and-coming Tories he is widely seen as a key member of Mr Cameron's inner circle, having previously worked in the Policy Exchange think tank.

He was the party's housing spokesman before being appointed to the Shadow Cabinet to take charge of education policy.

Health Secretary

Andrew Lansley

Has served as Shadow Health Secretary for the past seven years playing a key role in helping the Conservatives convince the electorate that the NHS would be treated as a top priority if they were elected.

A former civil servant, he was credited as one of the architects of the Conservative victory in the 1992 election. Before becoming an MP he served as a private secretary to Norman Tebbit, being praised for the support he provided when Mr Tebbit and his wife were injured in the IRA Brighton hotel bombing of 1984.

Business Innovation and Skills

Vince Cable

The York-born MP enjoyed a long and varied career in politics prior to rising to national attention for his widely praised reaction to the global financial crisis.

He is now expected to be a member of a committee set up to determine banking policy in the UK, as well as inheriting Lord Mandelson's former role. Stood in as temporary Lib Dem leader following the departure of Sir Menzies Campbell in 2007.

Played a central part in the coalition talks that led to the Tory/Lib Dem alliance.

Chief Secretary to the Treasury

David Laws

Took on former leader Paddy Ashdown's seat in 2001 and has been a key Lib Dem figure since, helping to negotiate the Lib-Lab coalition in Scotland and the history-making Tory-Lib Dem deal at Westminster.

The former investment banker had been expected to contest his party's leadership in 2007 but decided against it, going on to become a fervent critic of Labour's handling of the Child Support Agency and tax credits problems.

Expected to be involved in the new Government's approach to tackling the deficit.

Work and Pensions

Iain Duncan Smith

Another former leader of the Conservative Party, he is perhaps best remembered for being ousted from power in 2003 after failing to win enough support to survive a vote of confidence in his leadership.

He has since garnered much praise for his leadership of the Centre for Social Justice, a centre-right think tank which has proved instrumental in determining the party's approach to welfare policy.

A former officer in the Army he served in Northern Ireland before being elected in 1992.

Scottish Secretary

Danny Alexander

Served as Nick Clegg's chief of staff and authored his party's election manifesto, as well as co-ordinating the Lib Dems' campaign.

An MP for Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch and Strathspey, he was previously the party's work and pensions spokesman. A central figure in the negotiating team behind the coalition Government he has been a member of the Scottish Affairs Committee since being elected in 2005. He is a former media chief of the now defunct pro-euro campaign group Britain in Europe

Energy Secretary

Chris Huhne

Attended the same school as Nick Clegg and was elected as a Liberal Democrat MP in 2005.

A vocal spokesman on environmental issues, he has served as Shadow Home Secretary under Mr Clegg, who narrowly defeated him in the 2007 leadership contest following the resignation of Menzies Campbell.

Another key architect of the

coalition Government, he was one of the favourites to take a Cabinet position in any alliance between the two parties and is one of the Lib Dems' better-known MPs.