The Welsh Labour Party is expected to confirm Rhodri Morgan as its new party leader and its choice for First Secretary of the Welsh Assembly.

The Wales Labour executive and the 28 Labour members of the Assembly are to meet in Cardiff on Friday afternoon.

Currently in an acting role, Mr Morgan is unlikely to be opposed by the other parties when his nomination is put forward to a full meeting of the Assembly on Tuesday.

The Cardiff West MP and AM Mr Morgan was previously beaten in two leadership contests - first by Ron Davies, former Welsh Secretary, and then Alun Michael, who resigned on Wednesday before a no-confidence vote.

Mr Morgan is refusing to rule out a Scottish-style pact with the Liberal-Democrats whose six AMs look most likely to hold the key to future stability for the minority-led Labour administration.

On Thursday, the first day of his new job, Mr Morgan held separate talks with Liberal Democrat leader Michael German, Plaid Cymru's president Dafydd Wigley and acting Assembly leader Ieuan Wyn Jones, and Conservative leader Nick Bourne.

Mr Morgan said he wanted a more inclusive style of politics to raise the public esteem of the Assembly following the turmoil of the last few weeks.

"All 60 of us here realise that we have got to make this Assembly work," he added.

No-one wanted to see the Assembly undermined by any more votes of no confidence, which he described, as like "putting a nuclear bomb under the administration".