Major Puts His Own Stamp on British Cabinet : Transition: The victorious Conservative prime minister’s changes include the appointments of two women.

LONDON — Prime Minister John Major, holding a new five-year mandate from British voters, announced sweeping changes Saturday in his Cabinet, which for the first time includes two women.

Placing his personal stamp on all government departments and moving away from the right-wing era of former Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, Major gave the Health portfolio to Virginia Bottomley and named Gillian Shephard to be employment secretary.

Smiling after announcing the appointments, Major called his new Cabinet “one for the ‘90s.”

At the same time, defeated Labor Party leader Neil Kinnock remained in seclusion in his West London home. Widespread reports suggested that when he discloses his future plans Monday, he will announce his resignation.

There was speculation that Kinnock would not quit immediately, but do so in a few months to allow an orderly succession to the leadership post he has held since 1983.

In his new Cabinet, Major, 49, brought in new faces and said farewell to four veterans of the Conservative government: Home Secretary Kenneth Baker, Defense Secretary Tom King, Northern Ireland Secretary Peter Brooke and Lord Waddington, leader of the House of Lords.

The average age of the new Cabinet is 51, making it collectively the youngest in many years.

The two top posts in the Cabinet remain unchanged. Norman Lamont stays as Chancellor of the Exchequer and Douglas Hurd remains as foreign secretary. Both are respected political associates of Major.

The key Home Office portfolio, which oversees law enforcement and internal security, goes to former Education Secretary Kenneth Clarke, 51. Clarke is a tough lawyer who played a leading role in the campaign that enabled the Tories to defy expert predictions and a deep recession to win a fourth consecutive term.

Former Environment Secretary Michael Heseltine, 59, another powerful Tory campaigner, was rewarded with the expanded portfolio of Trade and Industry.

Heseltine is expected to give that department a new, higher profile and will take over much of the work of the Department of Energy, which is being disbanded.

Malcolm Rifkind, 45, who was transport secretary, replaces the outgoing King at Defense. And Atty. Gen. Patrick Mayhew, 62, becomes Northern Ireland secretary--a difficult post but one that he requested.

New Employment Secretary Shephard, 52, was a junior minister in the Treasury, and Bottomley, 44, was serving in a similar capacity in the Health Department.

Another female junior minister, Lynda Chalker, who lost her House of Commons seat in Thursday’s vote, was made a baroness, placing her in the House of Lords and allowing her to keep her post as minister for overseas development.

Major also created a new post dubbed “minister for fun”--actually secretary for the national heritage, which includes the arts, broadcasting, sports, tourism and a new national lottery. That portfolio will be held by David Mellor, 43, who was in a senior Treasury post.