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A sweeping Cabinet reshuffle saw schools reformer Michael Gove leave Education and doubled the number of women in Cabinet to eight.

David Cameron’s most far-reaching changes to the Government drew senior allies closer to No 10, and increased the influence of Chancellor George Osborne.

New Foreign and Defence Secretaries were appointed, on the day of a carve-up that culled tired male ministers.

Tory MP Sarah Wollaston tweeted in delight at the addition of more women: “For once having ‘the balls to do the job’ may be a disadvantage”. Among the changes:

Mr Gove departs Education, where his school reforms infuriated teaching unions. He becomes Chief Whip, election consigliere and “minister for the Today programme”. His salary will fall from £134,565 to £98,740, and he loses full Cabinet membership.

Key moves:

Nicky Morgan leads a phalanx of rising female stars, graduating from Mr Osborne’s Treasury stable to replace Mr Gove as the new Education Secretary.

Elizabeth Truss leaps up the rankings from junior education minister to Environment Secretary, replacing Owen Paterson.

Esther McVey wins the right to attend Cabinet meetings in her existing post as minister for employment and disabilities.

Michael Fallon, regarded as a safe pair of Tory hands, is made Defence Secretary, after a spell as both Energy Minister and Business Minister.

Eurosceptic Philip Hammond, who once said he could envisage leaving the EU, takes over from William Hague as Foreign Secretary, ahead of negotiations on Britain’s membership.

Former defence secretary Liam Fox rejected an offer of Foreign Office minister, saying he would speak from the backbenches about “economy, immigration and Europe”.

Greg Clark replaces David “Two Brains” Willetts as Universities Minister.

Stephen Crabb replaces David Jones as Secretary of State for Wales to become the first Tory cabinet minister with a beard since 1905.

Key Cameron ally Oliver Letwin appointed Lord Privy Seal.

Jeremy Wright replaces sacked Attorney-General Dominic Grieve - who warns against the UK pulling out of the European Convention on Human Rights in a parting shot.

The reshuffle is more significant than pundits predicted, and was described as the Prime Minister readying himself for a difficult General Election battle next year, by dragging the Cabinet’s toughest fighters into his inner circle.

Mr Gove’s move to Chief Whip was celebrated by teaching unions. Christine Blower of the NUT said she hoped for a “conciliatory” style from the new minister. Senior sources denied it was a demotion, stressing his roles as a lead spokesman on TV and radio, and saying he will work closely with No 10 on the election campaign.

“This did not come as a surprise to Gove — he has been planning the reshuffle with David for two weeks,” said a source. However, he is no longer a full Cabinet member and his pay cut surprised MPs.

Mark Harper, who quit as immigration minister in February after unwittingly employing an illegal immigrant, makes a rapid comeback as minister at Work and Pensions. And for the first time since 1905 a Tory Cabinet minister has a beard. He is new Welsh Secretary Stephen Crabb.

Mr Cameron announced each change on Twitter after interviewing his new appointments at No 10.

First into the famous front door was Ms Morgan who beamed to the cameras and said she was “very excited about the job”, followed by Ms Truss.Ms McVey smiled as she left Downing Street after being told she will begin attending Cabinet.

More women were promoted in the junior ranks. Penny Mordaunt, who became a familiar face to TV viewers with her appearance in her swimsuit on Splash!, joins the government at the Department for Communities and Local Government.

Hastings and Rye MP Amber Rudd, another Osborne protege, is junior minister at the Department of Energy and Climate Change. Anna Soubry — the first female MP in the Ministry of Defence when she was handed a junior role in October — has been promoted to Minister of State rank. Claire Perry moves from the Whips’ Office to be a junior transport minister.

Priti Patel, a member of the No 10 policy board, joins the Treasury team as Exchequer Secretary.

The ceremonial title of Lord Keeper of the Privy Seal has been transferred to Cabinet Office Minister and Tory policy chief Oliver Letwin. It belonged to Andrew Lansley as Commons Leader but is not inherited by Mr Hague as he is already First Secretary of State.

The role of former Commons Leader Mr Lansley had not been settled early this afternoon, prompting speculation he was fighting bitterly against demotion.

Former schools minister Nick Gibb, who was sacked in the September 2012 reshuffle, has returned to the Department for Education, Downing Street said. Responsibility for implementing gay marriage legislation has been given to Nick Boles.

Labour branded the reshuffle as a “massacre of the moderates”.

Among departures were David Jones, sacked as Welsh Secretary; Attorney General Dominic Grieve; climate change minister Greg Barker; Andrew Robathan from the Northern Ireland Office; and Alan Duncan from international development.

Also going are Hugh Robertson from the Foreign Office; Nick Hurd as minister for civil society; along with policing minister Damian Green, rail minister Stephen Hammond and solicitor general Oliver Heald.

Greenpeace groups welcomed the departure of Mr Paterson, a wind farm sceptic.