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The first minister of Wales, Rhodri Morgan, has stepped down as leader of the Welsh Labour Party.
Morgan, who turned 70 this week, had held the position for nearly 10 years.
He said: "There's never a right time to go. You can wait until others push you.
"It frequently happens if you stay more than 10 years.
"I have seen it happen to leaders - Margaret Thatcher, Tony Blair and so forth - and I don't want it to happen to me."
Shadow Wales secretary Cheryl Gillan paid tribute to Morgan, saying that his contribution to Welsh politics "cannot be overstated".
"Although a political adversary, in all my dealings with him he has been courteous and charming. I wish him well in his retirement," she added.
But the leader of the Welsh Conservatives, Nick Bourne, said he expected Morgan's departure to set off a "battle of political ambition and narrow party politics" within Labour as it decides on a successor.
"What is important now is that at a time of economic crisis the Assembly has leadership, vision, and direction," he said.
"The sooner that is settled the better it will be for all of us in Wales."
Dods Parliamentary Communications Ltd