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| Labour calls coalition conference | |
| (about 9 hours later) | |
| Welsh Labour leaders have agreed to hold a special conference to discuss an assembly coalition with Plaid Cymru. | |
| The Welsh party's national executive met after First Minister Rhodri Morgan offered a deal to Plaid to support his minority assembly government. | |
| Labour said support for the conference was "virtually unanimous". | |
| Plaid's ruling body will meet on Saturday to discuss both the Labour offer and an alternative plan for an alliance with Tories and Lib Dems. | |
| The trade unions will have a big say in Labour's final decision, and senior union figures have predicted they will back the Plaid deal. | |
| Before his party's national executive meeting, Morgan said he was "between a rock and a hard place" after Labour fell five seats short of an outright majority in last month's election. | |
| Mr Morgan said he was concentrating on finalising a deal with Plaid, but his door was still open to Liberal Democrats. | |
| Delegations from unions in Wales would control between 50,000 and 80,000 votes, which would almost certainly swing the decision one way or the other. | |
| There is a tiny minority that probably does believe in walking away, but I think that's a tiny minority Rhodri Morgan | There is a tiny minority that probably does believe in walking away, but I think that's a tiny minority Rhodri Morgan |
| Bill King, the Unison convenor for Wales, said he could see "no reason" why a Plaid-Labour deal could not last for four years, providing there was reasonable compromise and commitment. | Bill King, the Unison convenor for Wales, said he could see "no reason" why a Plaid-Labour deal could not last for four years, providing there was reasonable compromise and commitment. |
| "What we need is a sustainable government in Wales that is actually going to deliver policies that will benefit the people from Wales and if that means going into coalition, then that's what we have to do," he said. | "What we need is a sustainable government in Wales that is actually going to deliver policies that will benefit the people from Wales and if that means going into coalition, then that's what we have to do," he said. |
| Cath Speight, the regional secretary of Amicus, which is the largest affiliate to Labour in Wales, said she could understand if some members were uneasy about a coalition, but Labour had to remain in power. | Cath Speight, the regional secretary of Amicus, which is the largest affiliate to Labour in Wales, said she could understand if some members were uneasy about a coalition, but Labour had to remain in power. |
| Plaid leader Ieuan Wyn Jones could take a seat in the cabinet"I think the most important thing is for our members is that we deliver as much of the Labour party manifesto as is possible in the next four years," she said. | Plaid leader Ieuan Wyn Jones could take a seat in the cabinet"I think the most important thing is for our members is that we deliver as much of the Labour party manifesto as is possible in the next four years," she said. |
| "The damage that could be done by the rainbow coalition in four years in power, I don't think that's a price that my members would be willing to pay." | "The damage that could be done by the rainbow coalition in four years in power, I don't think that's a price that my members would be willing to pay." |
| "Duty bound" | "Duty bound" |
| Speaking to BBC Wales' Dragon's Eye programme, Mr Morgan said he felt only a "tiny minority" of his party believed Labour's future would be best served in opposition. | Speaking to BBC Wales' Dragon's Eye programme, Mr Morgan said he felt only a "tiny minority" of his party believed Labour's future would be best served in opposition. |
| Mr Morgan said he was duty bound to implement the Labour party's manifesto, "even if it is at the price of implementing somebody else's manifesto as well". | Mr Morgan said he was duty bound to implement the Labour party's manifesto, "even if it is at the price of implementing somebody else's manifesto as well". |
| "In terms of the attitude of the Labour Party, they all understand that we are between a rock and a hard place and that there is a tiny minority that probably does believe in walking away, but I think that's a tiny minority," he said. | "In terms of the attitude of the Labour Party, they all understand that we are between a rock and a hard place and that there is a tiny minority that probably does believe in walking away, but I think that's a tiny minority," he said. |
| "I think the majority say... we must not allow the Tories to get back into a position of being ministers looking after public services in Wales." | "I think the majority say... we must not allow the Tories to get back into a position of being ministers looking after public services in Wales." |
| Mr Morgan said he wanted an agreement with Plaid in place afternoon which he could "sell" to his party's Welsh executive. | |
| Plaid's national executive will meet in Aberystwyth on Saturday. | |
| Mr Morgan said it was up to Liberal Democrat leader Mike German to contact him if he wanted to reopen the door to negotiations. | |
| He confirmed he had discussed the way ahead for Labour in the assembly with Prime Minister-in-waiting Gordon Brown, but refused to elaborate on those talks. |