LONDON, June 12 (Xinhua) -- British Prime Minister Theresa May chaired her first meeting of ministers since last week's general election at 10 Downing Street Monday.
The wheels of government had been scheduled to start turning Tuesday, but May moved things forward 24 hours following the shock outcome in the election which saw her lose the majority she had held.
May's new-look cabinet is virtually unchanged, with her main ministers all keeping their jobs.
One headline-grabbing change was her appointment of one-time foe, Michael Gove as the environment secretary.
Political commentators speculated his return to front-line politics was to help protect May from a challenge for her job.
Gove, who previously was education secretary in David Cameron's cabinet, was a strong campaigner for Brexit in last year's EU referendum.
On the agenda at the cabinet meeting is the proposed confidence and support deal May has put forward with the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP).
The 10 DUP members of parliament would give May the working majority she needs in the House of Commons.
The leader of the DUP, Arlene Foster, is due at Downing Street Tuesday for a meeting with May.
Before that, May is to meet her own backbench MPs in a private showdown meeting Monday evening (at 5 p.m. local time) to discuss the party's performance in the election, and also the working arrangement with the DUP.
She needs the support of both her cabinet and her back benches to the DUP deal ahead of the state opening of parliament next Monday by Queen Elizabeth.
The Queen's Speech will outline the proposals the government aims for in the new session of parliament.
The main opposition leader, Labour's Jeremy Corbyn, has already indicated his party will oppose the Queen's Speech in a move that could see him emerge as prime minister.
Still unclear is the approach May and her Brexit team will take towards negotiations due to start next week to determine Britain's future relationship with the remaining 27 member states of the EU.
May has previously said no deal with European would be better than a bad deal, paving the way for a hard Brexit.
The results of last Thursday's general election have changed the political landscape, with commentators saying May and her main Brexit secretary David Davis may have to soften their approach to Brexit.
The tabloid Sun newspaper Monday calculated that the new-look House of Commons is made up of 342 MPs likely to support a softer Brexit deal, compared to 297 who would back a hard Brexit.
