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| Top Labour MP against Plaid deal | Top Labour MP against Plaid deal |
| (41 minutes later) | |
| On the eve of Labour's final vote on a proposed coalition with Plaid Cymru, former Welsh Secretary Paul Murphy has urged his party to reject the deal. | On the eve of Labour's final vote on a proposed coalition with Plaid Cymru, former Welsh Secretary Paul Murphy has urged his party to reject the deal. |
| Torfaen MP Mr Murphy has joined four Labour AMs and fellow MP Kim Howells to announce his opposition to the plan. | Torfaen MP Mr Murphy has joined four Labour AMs and fellow MP Kim Howells to announce his opposition to the plan. |
| He told BBC Wales' Dragon's Eye show he believed Labour should continue with a minority government in the assembly. | He told BBC Wales' Dragon's Eye show he believed Labour should continue with a minority government in the assembly. |
| Mr Murphy said he thought the coalition would be approved, but did not think it was in the best interests of the party. | Mr Murphy said he thought the coalition would be approved, but did not think it was in the best interests of the party. |
| Labour is holding a special party conference to vote on the coalition on Friday, which will be followed by a similar Plaid party meeting on Saturday. | Labour is holding a special party conference to vote on the coalition on Friday, which will be followed by a similar Plaid party meeting on Saturday. |
| The talks will give the grassroots of both parties to have their say. | The talks will give the grassroots of both parties to have their say. |
| Mr Murphy said he believed many Welsh Labour MPs and party members did not support the deal and that a Labour minority government in the assembly "could last three years". | |
| "A coalition with the biggest opposition party, whose ideals and values do not sit comfortably with many of our own, should not be entered into lightly," he said. | |
| There is no point in pretending the party is in any way united on this issue. There is considerable discomfort right across Wales about this. Paul Murphy | There is no point in pretending the party is in any way united on this issue. There is considerable discomfort right across Wales about this. Paul Murphy |
| Mr Murphy said he understood the dilemma faced by First Minister Rhodri Morgan, but maintained he had a right to express a view about the content of the One Wales document which forms the basis of the coalition proposal. | Mr Murphy said he understood the dilemma faced by First Minister Rhodri Morgan, but maintained he had a right to express a view about the content of the One Wales document which forms the basis of the coalition proposal. |
| "The party is certainly divided on the issue and we will have to see when we get that vote on Friday," he said. | "The party is certainly divided on the issue and we will have to see when we get that vote on Friday," he said. |
| "There is no point in pretending the party is in any way united on this issue. There is considerable discomfort right across Wales about this. | "There is no point in pretending the party is in any way united on this issue. There is considerable discomfort right across Wales about this. |
| "In the end, the party will decide and there is nothing wrong in members of parliament, members of the assembly, members of trade unions [and] members of constituency parties disagreeing on issues because that's what they call debate." | "In the end, the party will decide and there is nothing wrong in members of parliament, members of the assembly, members of trade unions [and] members of constituency parties disagreeing on issues because that's what they call debate." |
| Rhodri Morgan and Ieuan Wyn Jones agreed the One Wales deal | Rhodri Morgan and Ieuan Wyn Jones agreed the One Wales deal |
| He added that he hoped the way Labour's MPs and its AMs would work together in the future would be looked at, after what he described as "a bruising, damaging period". | He added that he hoped the way Labour's MPs and its AMs would work together in the future would be looked at, after what he described as "a bruising, damaging period". |
| On Wednesday, Torfaen's Lynne Neagle was first to speak publicly against the "One Wales" deal, and she was later backed by colleagues Karen Sinclair, Ann Jones and Irene James. | On Wednesday, Torfaen's Lynne Neagle was first to speak publicly against the "One Wales" deal, and she was later backed by colleagues Karen Sinclair, Ann Jones and Irene James. |
| Labour MP Kim Howells is also said to have warned it would help "nationalists to the gates of independence." | Labour MP Kim Howells is also said to have warned it would help "nationalists to the gates of independence." |
| The One Wales agreement has received backing from both Labour and Plaid AMs and Labour's Welsh executive, as well as Plaid's national executive. | The One Wales agreement has received backing from both Labour and Plaid AMs and Labour's Welsh executive, as well as Plaid's national executive. |
| But an "overwhelming majority" of Welsh Labour MPs are said to have "serious concerns". | But an "overwhelming majority" of Welsh Labour MPs are said to have "serious concerns". |
| Labour failed to win a majority in the 3 May assembly election and has been running a minority administration at Cardiff Bay. | Labour failed to win a majority in the 3 May assembly election and has been running a minority administration at Cardiff Bay. |
| But a historic power-sharing deal with Plaid Cymru was agreed in principle by First Minister Rhodri Morgan and Plaid leader Ieuan Wyn Jones. | But a historic power-sharing deal with Plaid Cymru was agreed in principle by First Minister Rhodri Morgan and Plaid leader Ieuan Wyn Jones. |
| Plaid abandoned the idea of a "rainbow alliance" with fellow opposition parties, the Liberal Democrats and Conservatives, in favour of the move. | Plaid abandoned the idea of a "rainbow alliance" with fellow opposition parties, the Liberal Democrats and Conservatives, in favour of the move. |
| Tory leader Nick Bourne has said that creating an anti-Labour government in Cardiff Bay was "more urgent than ever before" and it would be "foolish" to cast aside a rainbow deal into which "much hard work, time and thought" had been dedicated. |