British Prime Minister David Cameron on Tuesday pushed through his biggest government shake-up since coming to power in 2010, promoting women and Euroskeptics to senior roles in an appeal to voters in next May's national election.

After last minute adjustments, women will now make up five of the 22-person Cabinet, compared with three before. Nicky Morgan, minister for women and equalities, was appointed education secretary, replacing Michael Gove, while Liz Truss became secretary of state for environment, food and rural affairs in the place of Owen Paterson.

With his ruling Conservatives trailing the opposition Labour Party in opinion polls by up to 7 percentage points, the changes were seen as an attempt to address criticism that his government was dominated by white, privately-educated middle-aged men.