British Prime Minister Theresa May has filled out her cabinet posts, assembling a government that sweeps away many of her predecessor's supporters and places strongly anti-EU figures in key international roles.
After filling half a dozen of the top jobs on Wednesday - including surprise choice Boris Johnson as foreign Secretary - May made new appointments Thursday, including Justice Secretary Liz Truss and Education Secretary Justine Greening.
She also cleared out rivals, firing stalwarts of David Cameron's outgoing government including Culture Secretary John Whittingdale, Education Secretary Nicky Morgan and - most significantly - Justice Secretary Michael Gove, her onetime competitor for the job of Conservative leader.
Gove led the "leave" side in Britain's EU referendum battle alongside former London Mayor Boris Johnson, then betrayed him by making a bid for Conservative leadership - a job Johnson had long sought.
May won the leadership battle and quickly sacked Gove, who is now seen as treacherous by many Conservatives. She rewarded Johnson with the plum job of foreign secretary.
He is a surprising choice to be Britain's top diplomat. The former mayor of London is internationally famous - but for rumpled eccentricity and distinctly undiplomatic gaffes, rather than statesmanlike behaviour.
In April, Johnson suggested that US President Barack Obama had an "ancestral dislike" of Britain because he is part-Kenyan.
Johnson said he was "very excited" to be part of the government. Asked whom he would apologise to first, he said "the United States of America will be at the front of the queue".
New Treasury chief Philip Hammond reassured a startled world that Johnson - whose responsibilities include oversight of the MI6 spy agency - would be a team player.
"The cabinet works collectively and we have got a range of different characters and a range of different styles and a range of different talent," he told BBC radio. "The lead and the tone will be set by the prime minister."
Lesser-known than Johnson but at least as important to Britain's future is David Davis, the cumbersomely titled Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union. Davis, a veteran MP who has twice stood for the Conservative leadership, is one of the staunchest eurosceptics in British politics.
He is also a formidable battler, as May knows. For years the libertarian Davis has sparred with May over the powers of Britain's spy agencies. He is currently suing the British government in the European courts against surveillance laws May introduced as home secretary.
New British Treasury chief Hammond tried to sound a reassuring note Thursday, pledging that he would not introduce an emergency national budget - even though there are question marks hanging over the economy following the country's decision to leave the EU.
Hammond offered calming tones to the markets and the public in a series of interviews the morning after taking office.
"The number one challenge is to stabilise the economy, send signals of confidence about the future, the plans we have for the future, to the markets, to businesses, to international investors," Hammond told Sky News.
"Britain is open for business. We are not turning our back on the world."
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