MICHAEL Gove has returned to the top tier of British politics as David Cameron prepares a raft of policies to kick off his final term as Prime Minister - including on 'English votes for English laws'.

Scotsman Mr Gove has been promoted from Tory chief whip to the post of Justice Secretary, a position which covers mainly England and Wales.

His appointment marks a return to head a government department after he lost his job in charge of English education last year.

Mr Gove would be allowed to vote under so-called 'English votes for English laws' as he represents an English constituency.

He succeeds Chris Grayling, who moves to become leader of the Commons, where he will be in charge of bringing in the parliamentary changes Labour argues will lead to Scottish politicians becoming "second class MPs".

Nicola Sturgeon's SNP has pledged to vote on some issues which the Conservatives define as "English-only", arguing many have important knock-on effects.

But the Conservatives appear likely to be able to push through plans to stop them, after securing a Commons majority on Thursday night.

Mr Cameron is expected to name more members of his Tory-only cabinet today.

Without the Liberal Democrats in government a number of positions have become free, including that of Scottish Secretary.

Mr Cameron is also expected to move swiftly to change constituency boundaries, a move blocked by the LibDems in the last parliament.

Reform could increase the number of Conservative seats at the next election by around 20.

The Tories are also reported to have dropped their plans to cut the number of MPs by 50, to 600.

In his new role, one of Mr Gove's main jobs is expected to be the abolition of the Human Rights Act.

Ministers will also be tasked with drawing up plans for EU reform, ahead of the pledged In/Out referendum on the UK's membership in 2017.

Mr Cameron has also announced Mark Harper as chief whip, a key position for a party that now governs with a much smaller majority than it enjoyed over the last five years.

Senior Tories have urged backbenchers to show discipline and give the Prime Minister time to implement his policies..

But already one eurosceptic backbencher, Peter Bone, has predicted that the Tory leader will fail in his European negotiations.

One MP suggested, initially at least, that the power of patronage would give Mr Cameron a lot of control over his party.

Tory Backbencher Stuart Jackson said the Prime Minister was now "the king of all he surveys" after guiding his party to its first majority since 1992.

"He has enormous political capital and with that he can choose his Cabinet and make his priorities as he sees fit," he said.

Other policies in the Conservative manifesto now expected to be implemented include £12 billion worth of welfare cuts, legislation to prevent any increase in the main rates of income tax, national insurance and VAT over the next five years, and exemptions for family homes worth up to £1 million from inheritance tax.

The Tories have also committed to renew the UK's Trident nuclear deterrent on the Clyde with four replacement submarines, .continue to raise the basic state pension by at least 2.5 per cent a year through the "triple lock" and legislate to give the police and security services access to communications data, the so-called "snoopers' charter".

Mr Harper resigned as immigration minister in early 2014 after he discovered that his cleaner was no longer entitled to work in the UK.

Mr Cameron has already announced that Nicky Morgan will remain as education secretary and minister for equalities, George Osborne will stay as Chancellor and there will be no change to Theresa May's position as Home Secretary, Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond and Defence Secretary Michael Fallon.