Minority Report Will Be No Cruise For Morgan

12.00.00am BST (GMT +0100) Mon 9th May 2005

Welsh Liberal Democrat Assembly leader Mike German has called for a new attitude from the Labour party in response to the new balance of power in the Assembly following the General Election.

The split of Blaenau Gwent AM and MP Peter Law from the Labour Party means they no longer have a working majority in the Assembly and look set to continue as a minority administration.

Mr German said: "If Rhodri is to 'do an Alun Michael' and run a minority administration, then he must learn the lessons of his predecessor. Minority administrations can be effective, but to do so, Rhodri Morgan will need to show skills we have not yet seen.

"The whole Labour group will need to embrace the new thinking too. To survive as a minority administration requires diplomacy and tact, and a willingness to make concessions. It cannot be done using brute force and dismissal of dissenting voices that we have heard so often in the Assembly chamber for the last two years."

Labour now have just 29 votes out of 60 in the Assembly chamber. While speculation was rife before the election about the prospect of a grand coalition, the disarray in Plaid Cymru following disastrous results means they are unlikely to be able to deliver an alternative programme of government. Mr German believes any coalition is now "highly unlikely".

The key flashpoint of the summer and beyond is likely to come on student fees where Peter Law and the opposition parties have previously united in opposition at the Government's position.

Mr German added: "The Labour administration will have to get used to the idea that they will lose votes from time to time. There is a united opposition to the government's position on top-up fees, which makes this a potential . The Labour Assembly Government will not be able to hide behind the Rees Commission much longer and it is clear to me that the Assembly will battle hard to avoid Labour imposing the same barriers to learning in Wales as they are doing in England."