David Cameron has taken on the role of shadow education secretary in the shadow Cabinet reshuffle.

He will fill the post vacated by Tim Collins, who lost his seat during the general election.

Cameron, 38, has been tipped as a possible contender for the leadership of the Conservative Party following the decision of Michael Howard to stand down.

However, this leadership election may have come too soon for the rising star.

The new post will give him his first chance to prove his abilities in a major frontline role.

He will be taking on education secretary Ruth Kelly, who had also been viewed as a rising star until recent months.

Reports suggested the prime minister wanted to shift her from the education post, raising questions over how her performance in the position has been viewed in Number 10.

While Kelly's rise to the top ranks of government was rapid, Cameron's rise through his party's has been just as fast.

He became an MP for the first time in 2001, taking the constituency for Witney.

After two years on the backbenches Cameron was appointed a shadow minister, taking a role as part of the frontbench team under the shadow leader of the Commons.

In the same year he was made a deputy chairman of the party and in March 2004 was appointed a shadow minister for local government.

Following the June 2004 elections, Cameron was appointed policy co-ordinator.

And three months later he became a member of an expanded shadow Cabinet ahead of the general election.

Cameron has also said his "proudest achievement since the 2001 general election was winning the ePolitix.com Charity Champion 2004 award for campaigning on disability issues.