Rhodri Morgan said Labour held its nerve after the assembly election

Mr Morgan, 67, who had a heart scare after the Welsh assembly election in May, told the Labour conference he could "hardly wait" for an election.

He promised Labour would be "straining every sinew" to get the "biggest possible squad" of Welsh Labour MPs.

Mr Morgan also said Labour remained "at the helm" in the Welsh assembly despite forming a coalition cabinet with Plaid.

If we had not held our nerve and stuck to our political guns, then yes, believe it or not, the Tories would have been back in office in Wales First Minister Rhodri Morgan

Prime Minister Gordon Brown has refused to rule out calling a early general election and Mr Morgan said it was "not for me to speculate" on when that poll would come.

"When the starting pistol is fired, we know our job... is to ensure that Wales plays its full part in delivering another term, a full term for Gordon and his team," Mr Morgan said.

"And personally, fighting fit and ready for the fray, I can hardly wait for it to happen."

The first minister underwent a procedure to open two partially-blocked arteries during the summer, shortly after he and Plaid Cymru leader Ieuan Wyn Jones agreed their coalition.

Mr Morgan reflected on the joint Labour-Plaid administration in Cardiff Bay, after losses in May's assembly election meant his party could no longer govern alone.

Mr Morgan said Labour had shown determination during nine weeks of negotiations following the result, preventing Plaid forming a government with the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats and evicting Labour from office in the process.