Last October, Mr Michael was a junior Home Office minister. Since then, he has become Welsh secretary and is now the prospective leader of the National Assembly.

Three seats short of an overall majority, Mr Michael faces his toughest political challenge yet to ensure Labour gets its way in the assembly chamber.

"Those of us who are there have a great responsibility on our shoulders to make the assembly work, to deliver for the people of Wales," he said.

It was only after a bitter public battle between the old Labour of Wales and the new Labour of Downing Street that Mr Michael secured his position in the Welsh Assembly.

In 1979, Michael was in favour of a separate assembly for Wales. But the Welsh rejected devolution in a referendum by four to one and the young politician turned his attention to Westminster instead.

After more than a decade as the Labour MP for Cardiff South and Penarth, Mr Michael's hour of destiny came when he succeeded Ron Davies into the Welsh Office last year.

New Welsh secretary

Ron Davies quit the Cabinet in October

Hours after Mr Davies resigned after a "serious lapse of judgement" on Clapham Common, Mr Michael was promoted to Welsh secretary.

Days later Mr Davies' also quit as the party's leader in the new National Assembly of Wales, and its potential first secretary.

Mr Michael - a former journalist and youth worker - was the choice of Prime Minister Tony Blair to fill both vacancies.

Leadership battle

However, the resulting vacuum saw a public struggle as Mr Michael contested the position with left-winger Rhodri Morgan, who lost to Mr Davies in the original contest for the position.

Mr Michael had to defend himself against claims he had been parachuted in by Downing Street and repeatedly had to reaffirm his commitment to the assembly.

Rhodri Morgan: Contested the leadership twice

He always acknowledged the distrust in Wales of Labour's party machine.

He told BBC News Online earlier this year: "There's no doubt there was a backlash against the centre of the party, or the National Executive Committee, or the leadership of the party and because I've been identified as a close supporter and ally of Tony Blair's that backlash centred on me."

Controversy ensued when Mr Michael triumphed thanks to union block votes even though Mr Morgan gained the majority support of grass roots members.

Mr Michael was delighted by the result and set about continuing the work of Mr Davies to make a success of the National Assembly for Wales.

Mr Michael denied he was parachuted in by Downing Street

Although installed as the new Labour leader in Wales, Mr Michael was too late to register as candidate for his MP constituency seat in Cardiff South and Penarth.

Instead, he had to be was placed on the Mid and West Wales list seat, which emerged during the campaign as the potentially most intriguing result of the campaign.

With the new system of proportional top-up seats, Labour ironically had to rely on Plaid Cymru winning in the constituency seat of Carmarthen East and Dinefwr.

Tactical voting

Leading Wales into the election, Mr Michael had to counter dissatisfaction at the way the leadership vote was conducted.

That backlash against included a campaign by the Think Twice pressure group which wanted voters to use their second vote tactically against Mr Michael in protest.

Plaid Cymru also taunted Labour that the party's contender for the position of first secretary might not be elected.

Mr Michael's position was described as "extremely vulnerable" given the hostility towards him and new Labour as well as the reluctance of traditional Labour supporters to turn out to vote.

Even hours before the result was announced there was still uncertainty as to whether Mr Michael would be elected to the assembly.

If Mr Michael had not been elected it would have meant a third, even more potentially damaging, leadership contest for Labour in Wales.

But in the end, the seat was secured and Mr Michael began his victory speech in Welsh - perhaps an attempt to stamp his home-grown qualities on any doubtful voters.