The political world is adversarial.

Most politicians join political parties and then define themselves against other parties, and their candidates in election contests.

Administrations, local and national, blame their predecessors for what they inherited and warn of the damage others would do if allowed to take over from them.

The very act of political candidacy can focus more on why you shouldn't vote for other candidates than on a positive case for the candidate in question.

All of this inhibits our capacity as politicians to pay tribute to our political opponents when tribute is justified, so let me do just that.

Nigel Rock retires this week as the Stratford District Councillor for Bishops Itchington, Fenny Compton and Napton, after more than 20 years' service as a councillor.

Having worked with him on a number of issues on behalf of constituents we have both represented, I know he has been everything we should want our politicians to be.

Dedicated, thoughtful, persistent and effective. I have never doubted that he has been in politics to serve the interests of those he represents, not his own interests.

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He is kind and decent - a good man as well as a good politician.

He is also a Liberal Democrat.

More than that, he was the Liberal Democrat's Parliamentary Candidate for the Kenilworth and Southam Constituency in the 2010 General Election, meaning he and I were competing for the same job.

I find it difficult to hold that against him partly because I remember the consensual and decent way in which he conducted himself during that election campaign and partly because I knew that, had he been elected to parliament then (though I am of course glad that he wasn't) he would have been dedicated, thoughtful, persistent and effective in that role too.

Nigel is a loss to politics and those he has represented for more than two decades have lost a strong advocate.

I wish Nigel and his family every happiness in his retirement.

You may be reading this piece thinking it is rather unusual.

It is, but it really shouldn't be.

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The truth is that we politicians admire our opponents more often than you would think.

We rarely say so because we think it undermines our tribal identity or gives the other side an advantage.

I think the electorate can see that we can admire someone's commitment to public service, or even like them as a person, without having to agree with their politics.

We should say so more often.

Our politics would be a better place if we did.