Politicians are best measured by what they did and why they did it, rather than by outcomes. By that assessment Baroness Williams of Crosby, known universally as Shirley Williams, deserves the highest marks. A woman of principle and unimpeachable decency, she received much deserved acclaim for her valedictory speech in the House of Lords last week, not just for its content but for her 60 years in politics, which took her to the top of the political ladder and from which she is retiring at 85. Very few people have reached such summits with their reputation untarnished, and managed to stay there without the benefits of the spin and guile that most politicians regard as indispensable. In contrast to the politics of vanity, blackmail and double-cross, sadly the more common variety, she is pro