WEST Dorset MP Oliver Letwin has earned himself a place in David Cameron’s cabinet after days of negotiations.
The Conservative MP has been appointed as the Minister for Policy, responsible for making sure the Government’s policies are executed.
Mr Letwin has previously been doing the job in the opposition party and had hoped to continue in Mr Cameron’s first cabinet.
He said his role was due to be officially announced last night.
Mr Letwin was one of the Tories’ leading negotiators in the talks between the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats as they tried to reach a deal for a coalition government.
He spent days in exhaustive talks with his Lib-Dem counterparts to hammer out a deal that led to the first coalition government since the Second World War.
He said: “We finished all the talking we needed to set up the coalition and further discussions about the details are on Thursday.”
Mr Letwin stressed that his new job would not impact on duties in his West Dorset constituency.
“I will carry on doing my constituency work as normal,” he said. “I’m in Dorset on Friday.”
Prime Minister David Cameron was putting the finishing touches to his Cabinet last night, with key jobs for his Liberal Democrat coalition partners.
As well as Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg, there were seats at the Cabinet table for Lib-Dems Vince Cable and David Laws.
Mr Cameron’s key ally George Osborne was appointed Chancellor and former Tory leader William Hague is the new Foreign Secretary.
One of the more surprising appointments was Theresa May, who becomes only the second female Home Secretary.
Mr Cable becomes Business Secretary and Mr Laws was appointed Chief Secretary to the Treasury, Mr Osborne’s second-in-command.
Also confirmed by 10 Downing Street were Conservatives Andrew Lansley as Health Secretary and Michael Gove as Education Secretary.
Liam Fox was made Defence Secretary and Kenneth Clarke was made the Justice Secretary and Lord Chancellor. Patrick McLoughlin, the Tory chief whip while in opposition, will carry on as the Government Chief Whip.
It is understood that Mr Clegg’s chief of staff Danny Alexander will be Scottish Secretary, while reports suggest that former Lib-Dem home affairs spokesman Chris Huhne may take the energy brief.
Sources confirmed that former Tory party leader Iain Duncan Smith would be Work and Pensions Secretary.
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