General Election 2015: George Osborne and Theresa May return to positions in new Conservative cabinet

David Cameron tonight said George Osborne will continue to be Chancellor of the Exchequer as he announced the most senior members of his new Conservative Cabinet.

Osborne was also made the most senior Cabinet minister below the Prime Minister with the title First Secretary of State - effectively equivalent to deputy PM - which was previously held by William Hague.

Meanwhile Theresa May will remain in the position of Home Secretary, Philip Hammond will continue as Foreign Secretary and Michael Fallon will stay as Defence Secretary.

Mr Cameron made the announcements this evening on Twitter.

Politicial commentators have said Mr Osborne's reappointment signifies the PM's appreciation of his handling of the Treasury throughout the five years of coalition government, and continues a record of continuity in the two top posts of government since 2010.

The Chancellor's "long-term economic plan" was a centrepiece of the election campaign which delivered Conservatives a 12-seat overall majority in the House of Commons and his plans for £30 billion of "consolidation" to eliminate the deficit will be at the heart of the new government's agenda.

During the course of the election, Mr Cameron repeatedly told voters they could secure the stability of having Mr Osborne back at the Treasury by voting Conservative on Thursday.

Mr Cameron will wait until Monday to name the rest of his Cabinet, with more junior jobs being shared out later in the week.

The Prime Minister has a greater scope for patronage among Conservative MPs now that he no longer has to make space in his Cabinet for five Liberal Democrat MPs, as well as a dozen or more in the lower ministerial ranks