Mr Davies' wife Lynne gave birth to a daughter, which they have named Gwenllian, at 1544 GMT on Friday.

Gwenllian was born at Caerphilly Miners' Hospital, south Wales and weighed 7lbs 7oz.

A spokesman for Mr Davies said: "They are very proud of the new addition to their family and looking forward to a happy future together."

Mr Davies, 56, married Lynne, who is 19 years his junior, in August 2002.

The wedding came three years after the couple met on a Welsh language course in Aberystwyth.

Three-times-married Mr Davies has a daughter, Angharad, from his previous marriage to Christina - the pair divorced three years ago.

Resigned

Mr Davies resigned from the UK Cabinet and as Wales Labour party leader in 1998 after an incident he described as a "moment of madness" on Clapham Common, London.

He was robbed at knifepoint, and a man was arrested and charged with robbery but the charge was later dropped.

Mr Davies' divorce followed an admission that he was bisexual and was addicted to "high-risk situations" in locations frequented by gay men.

He sought medical treatment for compulsive behaviour and claimed to be cured of the condition after receiving psychiatric help from one of the UK's top specialist clinics.

Mr Davies abandoned Westminster politics altogether, and became the first AM for Caerphilly in the 1999 Welsh Assembly elections.