May pins hopes on cabinet stability

Theresa May has set out her new cabinet with only a couple of significant changes as she seeks to regain solid ground for a Tory-DUP government with a slim majority in parliament. Industry reaction after the General Election result last week was mixed, although with many pointing to a heightened need for government stability over coming weeks and months to bring certainty, for infrastructure investors and markets.

May has reappointed almost all of her cabinet team, arguably as much for reasons of staving off leadership challenges, but also to maintain consistency and to steady the ship for the upcoming start of Brexit negotiations. The only big changes are the return of Michael Gove as May's environment secretary – giving him a portfolio including air quality issues to sort out – and sideways moves for Damian Green (from work and pensions to deputy PM, replaced by David Gauke) and Liz Truss. David Lidington will take over from Truss as justice secretary.

Other than that, it's as you were, for the time being. Philip Hammond remains as chancellor, David Davis continues as Brexit minister, Liam Fox is May's trade secretary still and Greg Clark continues as secretary of state for business, energy and industrial strategy. Even the post of transport secretary – the perennial moving chair – is still filled by Chris Grayling.

The chief executive of the Highways Term Maintenance Association, Geoff Allister, was among those quick to congratulate Grayling on his reappointment; reminding him of the need to keep increased and consistent levels of roads funding high on the government agenda: "As the voice of the highways maintenance industry, HTMA welcomes the appointment and looks forward to continuing to work with the transport secretary and his department in improving the condition of our roads for the economic, environmental and social benefit of the communities within which we work. A long-term asset management approach, allied to increased and consistent levels of funding, is required to bring our road network up to an acceptable standard and arrest the decline caused by years of under investment," Allister said.

Theresa May's cabinet - the key posts:

First Secretary of State, and Minister for the Cabinet Office – Damian Green

Chancellor of the Exchequer – Philip Hammond

Home Office – Amber Rudd

Foreign Office – Boris Johnson

Defence secretary – Sir Michael Fallon

Secretary of State for Health – Jeremy Hunt

Justice secretary – David Lidington

Education and Minister for Women and Equalities – Justine Greening

International trade and President of the Board of Trade – Liam Fox

Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy – Greg Clark

Environment, Food and Rural Affairs – Michael Gove

Transport secretary – Chris Grayling

Communities and Local Government – Sajid Javid

Scotland secretary – David Mundell

Wales – Alun Cairns

Northern Ireland – James Brokenshire

International Development – Priti Patel

Culture, Media and Sport – Karen Bradley

Work and Pensions – David Gauke