Who's Who: The Big Five

They've joined forces to create a government with a healthy majority. But who exactly are they, and who are the three key players backing them up? The Evening Stanners gives you a brief overview of The Big Five...

Prime Minister - David Cameron

The MP for Witney in Oxfordshire since 2001, the new Prime Minister has come a long way since his emergence onto the national stage in 2005: though of course, his roots with the Conservative Party go much deeper than that. A former Eton pupil, Cameron studied Philosophy, Politics and Economics (PPE) at Brasenose College, Oxford, before working for the Conservative Research Department for five years as adviser to Norman Lamont. However, Black Wednesday spelt the end for the then Chancellor of the Exchequer, and Cameron retreated to commercial television with Carlton for seven years.

2005 was his big year: he wrote the Conservative Party manifesto for the general election, became Shadow Education Secretary under Michael Howard, and then defied the odds to defeat David Davis in the Conservative Party Leadership election. At 43 years old, he is the youngest man to enter No. 10 since 1812, when Lord Liverpool came to power.

Deputy Prime Minister - Nick Clegg

Not many people knew who David Cameron was in 2005: even fewer knew about the man who is now his deputy. Nick Clegg was educated at Westminster School before studying Social Anthropology at Robinson College, Cambridge. He then worked as a journalist before being elected as an MEP for the East Midlands from 1999 to 2004, and was then elected as a Liberal Democrat for Sheffield Hallam in 2005.

He quickly rose through the ranks of the party until he defeated Chris Huhne in 2007 for the leadership of the party. He was often overshadowed by Vince Cable, but came into his own during the General Election when he convincingly won the first ever televised leaders' debate. He has also become Leader of the House of Commons, and will be in charge when David Cameron is out of the country. This also allows him to field Prime Minister's Questions in such a case.

Chancellor of the Exchequer - George Osborne

The man charged with the task of cutting THAT deficit, George Osborne has been gearing up for a role in politics for quite some time. A pupil at St. Paul's College, Osborne studied Modern History at Magdalen College, Oxford, and worked at Selfridges before joining the Conservative Research Department in 1994. He was a Political Secretary for the then Leader of the Opposition William Hague between 1997 and 2001, and was then elected as MP for Tatton in Cheshire in the same year. Osborne was re-elected in 2005, and was then surprisingly made Shadow Chancellor under Michael Howard, before helping David Cameron's rise to power by running his campaign. Osborne's reward was to remain as Shadow Chancellor.

Osborne is not generally seen as being quite as adept as his boss - Cameron has said publicly that he would be prepared to sack his Chancellor if necessary - but what he lacks in good public relations he makes up for in Westminster. His ability to command respect across the board means that, unless an economic crisis develops, he is unlikely to be challenged for the Chancellorship. He now resides at No. 11, and becomes the first Conservative Chancellor to do so since Kenneth Clarke, who is also now in the cabinet.

Foreign Secretary - William Hague


For a man who made a rather poor Leader of the Opposition, and led his party to a disastrous result in the 2001 general election, Hague has come a long way. His negotiating skills in the last few days have paid dividends, and he is now in the Cabinet after several years of trying.

Like Osborne, Hague also studied at Magdalen College; like Cameron, he also studied PPE. He became an MP at the very young age of 27, succeeding former Home Secretary Leon Brittan as the Conservative MP for Richmond in Yorkshire in 1989. Hague's rise was impressive, and he became Secretary of State for Wales in 1995, succeeding John Redwood: however, after 1997, he was one of the few Cabinet officials left standing.

Managing to fight off both Kenneth Clarke and Michael Howard for the leadership of the party was no mean feat: but with a Labour majority of 179 to overturn, Hague was doomed from the start. A baseball cap with the words "HAGUE" on it and a log flume ride made him a figure of ridicule in politics, and he never really recovered from such a bad start, with only his frequently competent performances at PMQ's saving him. In the end, the 2001 General Election saw the Tories pick up one measly seat, as Tony Blair won yet another landslide victory. Unsurprisingly, Hague resigned. Four years later, he became Shadow Foreign Secretary. Another five years later, and he has finally cast off his shadow.

Home Secretary - Theresa May

It's okay, you're allowed to say "Who?" - because quite frankly, no-one really saw this coming. Defying all cross-party logic, which suggested that either Chris Grayling or Chris Huhne would take the role, the MP for Maidenhead has risen out of obscurity to take one of the most coveted roles in the cabinet.

Yet another Oxford graduate - May graduated from St Hugh's with a BA in Geography - her first career was in the Bank of England until 1983. She then managed to become a Councillor for the London Borough of Merton from 1986 until 1994, during which time she unsucessfully campaigned to become a Conservative MP in North West Durham and Barking, before finally succeeding in Maidenhead in 1997.

Her career after that can best be described as extremely turbulent: she had the exceptionally bad luck of becoming Party Chairman at a time when Iain Duncan Smith, by far the most unsuccessful leader of the party in recent times, was in charge. May has since shadowed Transport, Family, Culture, and Work and Pensions, in a fashion similar to Margaret Thatcher's movements under Edward Heath in the late 1960's. 40 years on, she has also found herself as the most prominent woman in the Cabinet.

The Evening Stanners