London: Boris Johnson has purged Brexit unbelievers from his new government in what shocked observers believe is one of the biggest cabinet reshuffles in the UK’s political history that didn't follow an election.

As more than half Theresa May’s cabinet were summarily dismissed to the backbenches (or pre-empted the move by resigning), one political commentator said Johnson was "bringing the Brexit gang back together".

Some warned Johnson was gambling with his slim parliamentary majority with a "winner takes all" cabinet and a former Conservative MP lamented that the "hard right has taken over" the party.

But others saw it as a deliberate message to the European Union: if they don’t change their minds and agree to reopen the Brexit divorce deal, this was a government willing and ready to jump off the "no-deal" cliff.