Former Tory party leader Iain Duncan Smith was this afternoon confirmed as the secretary of state for work and pensions in the David Cameron-led coalition Government.
A former army officer who saw active service in Northern Ireland, he was a shadow defence secretary under William Hague.
He beat competition from another new Cabinet colleague, Kenneth Clarke, to take on the party leadership role in September 2001.
This comes in contrast to earlier rumours from www.politicshome.com, which suggested former shadow chief secretary to the Treasury, and one-time Tory work and pensions spokesman, Philip Hammond would get the job.
Separately, www.ePolitix.com reported Liberal Democrat MP Greg Mulholland would become pensions minister under the new regime - a move he told Twitter followers was a "little premature" as only Cabinet level positions had been made so far.
Mulholland was elected to parliament at the 2005 General Election and became his party's junior international development spokesman.
In 2006 he was appointed Lib Dem schools spokesman and in 2007 he became health spokesman.
He is a member of the House of Commons work and pensions committee - as well as being vice-chairman of two all-party parliamentary groups, on Rugby League and Balanced and Sustainable Communities.
He was formerly a member of two other such groups on beer and small shops.
