A close look at Theresa May's new cabinet

Britain's Prime Minister Theresa May arrives at 10 Downing Street, in central London July 13, 2016. [Photo/Agencies]

LONDON - The junior minister who pulled out of the government leadership race to pave the way for Theresa May to become British prime minister was Thursday rewarded with a big front-bench job.

Andrea Leadsom, former minister of state at the department of energy and climate change, was named as secretary of state for environment,food and rural affairs, giving her a major job in May's Downing Street cabinet.

Leadsom pulled out of the race over the leadership of the governing Conservative Party on Monday, leaving May as the only contender, effectively throwing the keys of Number 10 to her rival.

May spent her first full day as prime minister by appointing more politicians to her front bench, at the same time firing a number of well-known politicians, including Justice Secretary Michael Gove.

Johnson has been made foreign secretary, replacing Philip Hammond who was made Chancellor of the Exchequer replacing George Osborne.

It emerged Thursday that May had effectively fired Osborne by saying that she did not want him in her front bench cabinet team.

May continued to wield the political axe, giving a number of Cameron's ministers and secretaries their marching orders, in some cases to make space in the cabinet for more female ministers. Other ministers decided to leave the government.

Gove was replaced as Justice Secretary by Liz Truss while Education Secretary Nicky Morgan was also fired and replaced by the former international development secretary Justine Greening.

Culture Secretary John Whittingdale has also left the government, but Cameron's Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt, caught up in a major wrangle with junior doctors over new working conditions in the NHS, has kept his job.