AMS of all parties have joined together to pay warm tributes to former first minister Rhodri Morgan, who died last week aged 77.

Mr Morgan, who died on Wednesday, May 17, served as Labour MP for Cardiff West between 1987 and 2001, AM for the same constituency between 1999 and 2011 and first minister from 2000 until 2009.

AMs joined together in the Senedd yesterday, Tuesday, to pay tribute to Mr Morgan.

Opening the tributes, his successor as first minister Carwyn Jones said he had looked up to Mr Morgan as “a father figure in politics”.

“Last week, we lost a giant of our nation,” he said.

“He is gone, but, of course, his name is written into our history.”

Also paying tribute to Mr Morgan, leader of the Welsh Conservatives Andrew RT Davies, said the people of Wales “owe him a great debt of gratitude” for his work at the start of the devolution process.

“We are fortunate that he was there at the helm working with others to make sure that devolution did turn in to the permanent part of our democracy and permanent part of our country here in Wales,” he said.

Meanwhile Plaid Cymru leader Leanne Wood remembered the former first minister as “a person of kindness, humour and warmth” and head of the Senedd’s Ukip group Neil Hamilton paid tribute to him as “a gentle man and a gentleman”.

Speaking on behalf of the Welsh Liberal Democrats, education secretary Kirsty Williams said: “He stood out and he stood taller than us as well, as a politician, as a leader, as a father figure and friend.”

Newport East AM John Griffiths also spoke during tributes, saying it was “a privilege” to serve alongside the former first minister.

“To work with him was a pleasure,” he said. “His commitment to socialism, Wales and devolution, and his lively sense of humour made it a great pleasure.”

Mr Morgan’s widow Julie, who was Cardiff North MP from 1997 until 2010 and has served as AM for the same constituency since 2011, also spoke movingly in the Senedd yesterday, saying serving as first minister had been “the pinnacle of his political career”.

“Every minute was enjoyment, and he really always looked forward,” she said.

“He was immensely fulfilled.”

Mr Morgan’s funeral will be held at the Senedd from 11am on Wednesday, May 31, followed by a service of committal at Cardiff’s Thornhill Crematorium at 2pm the following day.

Both are open to the public.