British Prime Minister Theresa May has sought to complete a government shake-up without further blunders, after a first day marred by farce and the refusal of some ministers to move.

Senior members of her Conservative party joined newspaper commentators in condemning the chaotic reshuffle of senior ministers on Monday, which was due to be followed by a reorganisation of the junior ranks on Tuesday. The reshuffle was intended to "refresh" May's team after a torrid 2017, when she called a snap election only to lose her parliamentary majority. Most senior ministers stayed in their posts on Monday.