LONDON – The public's verdict was clear: Prime Minister David Cameron and Treasury chief George Osborne faced a chorus of boos at London's Paralympic Games – a rare flash of hostility toward their belief that a sharp austerity drive is the best way to repair Britain's debt-ravaged economy.

Anger is mounting amid a grueling four-year program of cuts to public sector jobs and welfare payments, which Osborne has conceded will need to be extended by at least two years and which some opponents worry has fueled Britain's slump into its first recession since 2009.

Seeking to win back support and boost his prospects before the 2015 national election, Cameron on Tuesday made the first major overhaul of his Cabinet and 100-strong ministerial team since taking office in 2010.