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| Version 0 | Version 1 |
|---|---|
| Minister warms to Plaid coalition | Minister warms to Plaid coalition |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| A Labour cabinet member has indicated she would be willing to serve in a coalition Welsh Assembly Government with Plaid Cymru. | A Labour cabinet member has indicated she would be willing to serve in a coalition Welsh Assembly Government with Plaid Cymru. |
| Health minister Edwina Hart told BBC Wales' Dragon's Eye that she would be happy to sit at the same cabinet table as Plaid leader Ieuan Wyn Jones. | Health minister Edwina Hart told BBC Wales' Dragon's Eye that she would be happy to sit at the same cabinet table as Plaid leader Ieuan Wyn Jones. |
| Ms Hart said: "This is about closer working and parties of similar ideas taking strands along together." | Ms Hart said: "This is about closer working and parties of similar ideas taking strands along together." |
| Labour has formed a minority government following May's assembly election. | Labour has formed a minority government following May's assembly election. |
| Ms Hart was asked by the programme for her response to a call from Plaid Cymru's negotiator, Adam Price, for a formal coalition between the two parties. | Ms Hart was asked by the programme for her response to a call from Plaid Cymru's negotiator, Adam Price, for a formal coalition between the two parties. |
| She said she would be happy sitting at the same cabinet table with Plaid's leader Ieuan Wyn Jones. | She said she would be happy sitting at the same cabinet table with Plaid's leader Ieuan Wyn Jones. |
| She added: "Our door is open in terms of closer co-operation. | She added: "Our door is open in terms of closer co-operation. |
| "I think we've got to recognise that this is grown-up politics now in Wales. | "I think we've got to recognise that this is grown-up politics now in Wales. |
| "This settlement was never going to produce a majority every time. | "This settlement was never going to produce a majority every time. |
| "This is about closer working. The Europeans have done it for a long time." | "This is about closer working. The Europeans have done it for a long time." |
| Labour has stated that First Minister Rhodri Morgan's door remains open for further formal discussions. | Labour has stated that First Minister Rhodri Morgan's door remains open for further formal discussions. |
| 'Agreed programme' | 'Agreed programme' |
| Mr Price welcomed Ms Hart's comments, adding Labour needed to move quickly to secure a coalition with Plaid. | Mr Price welcomed Ms Hart's comments, adding Labour needed to move quickly to secure a coalition with Plaid. |
| He said: "It has to be a formal coalition and it has to be a joint agreed programme of government. | He said: "It has to be a formal coalition and it has to be a joint agreed programme of government. |
| "The present situation is completely unsustainable." | "The present situation is completely unsustainable." |
| Meanwhile, supporters of an alliance of non-Labour parties are calling for the current assembly term to be extended to give those parties chance to form an alternative government. | Meanwhile, supporters of an alliance of non-Labour parties are calling for the current assembly term to be extended to give those parties chance to form an alternative government. |
| Earlier this week, Mr Morgan said he intended to call a temporary halt to changes to Welsh hospital services. | |
| It followed objections to Labour's proposals for health "reconfiguration," a major issue at the assembly election. | |
| Rhodri Morgan is running a minority administration | Rhodri Morgan is running a minority administration |
| Labour is five short of a majority and running a minority government, which means its policies will need support from other parties. | |
| The party's programme includes measures to give NHS patients more rights and to improve environmental protection and waste management. | The party's programme includes measures to give NHS patients more rights and to improve environmental protection and waste management. |
| Mr Morgan said he hoped it would be possible to build a "progressive consensus" in the assembly to provide the policies that Wales required. | |
| "It's no accident that the proposals focus on the bread-and-butter issues," said Mr Morgan. | "It's no accident that the proposals focus on the bread-and-butter issues," said Mr Morgan. |
| "Our object must surely be not to create more law, but better law for Wales." | "Our object must surely be not to create more law, but better law for Wales." |
| Budget and Business Minister Jane Hutt said Labour had carried out several discussions with the Lib Dems and Plaid since the election. | Budget and Business Minister Jane Hutt said Labour had carried out several discussions with the Lib Dems and Plaid since the election. |
| Plaid Cymru leader Ieuan Wyn Jones said Labour should be given a chance and it was not sensible to "turf governments out willy-nilly". | Plaid Cymru leader Ieuan Wyn Jones said Labour should be given a chance and it was not sensible to "turf governments out willy-nilly". |