A possible Labour/Liberal coalition was back on the agenda last night, as Mr Rhodri Morgan promised a new era of "inclusive" politics in Wales.
Mr Morgan - who hopes to be confirmed as First Secretary next Tuesday - set out to defuse any further "nuclear" devices which might rock the National Assembly by opening up a dialogue with all the opposition parties.
And as embarrassment and criticism piled up at the Prime Minister's door following Mr Alun Michael's resignation, Mr Morgan said a telephone conversation with Mr Blair had assured him he would have "very good relations" with Downing Street if confirmed in office next week.
However, there was a swift reminder that relations between London and his Welsh administration would be very different, when the Acting First Secretary said an "Operation Phoenix" was required for Labour to win back disaffected supporters in the Welsh heartlands.
On the issue which triggered Wednesday's no confidence vote against Mr Michael, Mr Morgan said he would negotiate strongly with the Treasury "but not through a megaphone" to secure maximum funding for Wales.
Mr Morgan declined to say whether he would find a cabinet post for Mr Michael, or to speculate on the possible return of Mr Ron Davies - whose "moment of madness" on Clapham Common, and subsequent resignation as Welsh Secretary, triggered the events which this week resulted in one of the biggest humiliations of Mr Blair's premiership.
The leader of Plaid Cymru, Mr Dafydd Wigley, confirmed it would accept Mr Morgan's nomination when the Assembly meets. "We will enter into a constructive dialogue with him," he said, adding that Plaid wanted "to avoid the sterile approach to politics which marked Alun Michael's reign as First Secretary."
The Liberal Democrats, meanwhile, insisted that a joint programme for government would be a precondition for them entering a coalition.
The party leader, Mr Michael German, said talk of a coalition represented "stage two" of the process. Stage one was to draw up a programme which would command the widest support in the Assembly. "We need to establish what we intend to do, how we intend to do it, how much it will cost and when we are going to do it," he said.
There is "the rub" for Mr Morgan - a reminder that "the how and by what means" will remain a problem for any Welsh administration for as long as London takes the view that Cardiff's role is to find better ways of spending the existing budget rather than simply adding to it.
PA adds:
Mr Ken Livingstone, hoping to become Labour's candidate for Mayor of London, warned yesterday the party could face a backlash on polling day if he was snubbed in favour of Mr Blair's preferred candidate, Mr Frank Dobson.
Mr Livingstone said events surrounding the resignation of Mr Blair's choice, Mr Michael, as First Secretary in Wales could be repeated.
"It would be even worse in London," Mr Livingstone said. "There won't be a backlash eight months after the election like there has been in Wales.
"The backlash will come on polling day for Labour. There is not the slightest doubt that what we have seen in Wales could be replicated in London."