Politicians of all shades have paid tribute to the former Northern Secretary, Dr Mo Mowlam, who has announced that she will stand down at the next Westminster election.
Dr Mowlam's successor, Mr Peter Mandelson, said she had brought her own particular style to Northern Ireland and would be "greatly missed" by the people there who owed her much gratitude. She was a "one-off", he added.
Mr Mandelson said he believed Dr Mowlam still had a "tremendous amount to do in life" and would succeed in whatever she decided to do. "Mo's reputation and her standing rides high and it will continue to ride high, in or out of politics. She's had a fine career in politics and whatever else she chooses to go into after politics, I'm sure she'll do just as well."
The UUP security spokesman, Mr Ken Maginnis, whose relationship with Dr Mowlam was known to be stormy, described the former Northern Secretary as an "enigmatic but very kind person".
The SDLP leader, Mr John Hume, said Dr Mowlam would be sadly missed from the political stage. "Mo Mowlam was an outstanding Secretary of State, whose tenure in Northern Ireland was characterised by courage and vision. The people of Northern Ireland owe her a deep debt of gratitude for the superb work that she has done, particularly in such difficult times. She has made an enormous contribution towards bringing about peace on our streets."
The Sinn Fein chairman, Mr Mitchel McLaughlin, said it was unfortunate Dr Mowlam's last weeks in office were "soured" by her sanctioning the bugging of a car used by Mr Gerry Adams and Mr Martin McGuinness during the negotiations.
"While the approach and style she brought to the job was a change, we would clearly have preferred her to have been the last British Secretary of State in Ireland," he added.
There was little regret about Dr Mowlam's decision in the DUP. The party's justice spokesman, Mr Ian Paisley jnr, said she was "bad at taking her own medicine". While being rude to unionists, she herself could not take any "directness" from them, he added.
"As far as I am concerned, she has damaged unionism. She went into the Maze and told people like Johnny Adair that they were the unsung heroes of the peace process. We are still mopping up the mess she has left behind. I wish she had resigned before she ever became Secretary of State," Mr Paisley said.