Plymouth Lib Dems say "thank you" to Shirley Williams on her retirement

Plymouth Liberal Democrats have paid tribute to Baroness Shirley Williams as she retires from the House of Lords.

Hugh Janes, the chair of the party in the city, said, "Shirley Williams has been an inspirational figure to me. She has brought a rare level of good common sense to the most complex problems and been a guiding light to liberals - as well as Liberal Democrats - for many years. I wish her all the very best for her well-earned retirement and want to ler her know she will be greatly missed."

Lord Tom McNally, a former leader of the Liberal Democrats in the House of Lords, wrote to party members across the country to say, "Shirley has been hugely influential in our party's history. She was one of the 'Gang of Four' who founded the Social Democratic Party and was its first President from 1982 to 1987.

"She held positions in Government, in the Shadow Cabinet and in the leadership of the SDP and latterly of the Lib Dems.

"In 1987 she could have stayed with David Owen outside the Liberals Democrats. Instead she threw herself with energy into the new party. Nor was her commitment only to the big platform or the major television appearances. Often on a Friday I would ask Shirley what she was doing for the weekend, to be told that she was speaking at the AGM or Annual Dinner of a local party which would involve a long round trip. There can be no part of the country which Shirley has not visited nor any kind of Lib Dem function, meeting or campaign event that she has not graced with her presence.

"Had she stayed with Labour in 1981 she would have certainly held high office in the Blair Government. Indeed, a senior Labour figure, by no means on the right of the Party, once told me that Shirley was the one defector whose loss most damaged Labour. And outside of politics she had many distinguished careers open to her. Instead she chose to roll up her sleeves and do every job the Party has thrown at her, working with the poor bloody infantry of politics and fighting for the things in which she believes with eloquence and passion.

"We as Lib Dems should be grateful for the fact that when she had genuine opportunities to take jobs which would have given her more influence, power and prestige, she chose to stick with us and argue her case in committees, on the conference floor and in countless face to face meetings with both the doubters and the committed."

Shirley Williams will retire from the House of Lords early in the New Year.