A former Chiltern District councillor and conservative party activist said she is ‘greatly honoured’ to take her seat in the House of Lords after being nominated by the Prime Minister.

Emma Pidding, who was chairman of the Chesham and Amersham Conservative Association and also served as a district councillor for eight years, was nominated by David Cameron in the list of dissolution peerages.

Ms Pidding, who lives in Chalfont St Giles with her partner Tim Butcher, a Bucks County councillor, said she was delighted to take up her new post and is looking forward to the challenge.

She said: “I am greatly honoured to be nominated by the Prime Minister to become a Conservative peer and very much look forward to this new and exciting chapter in my life. I will work diligently to support the government in the House of Lords.

“My appointment will allow me to continue to serve the Party, albeit in a different capacity to anything that I have done before.”

The tireless campaigner retired from her role as Chairman of the National Conservative Convention and Deputy Chairman of the Conservative Party Board in July after three years. She has been involved with the Conservative party since 1986.

She said: “I remain passionate about the work that I have done as a volunteer for so many years for the Conservative Party. My volunteer colleagues and I work tirelessly campaigning around the country.”

Ms Pidding has lived in the Chesham and Amersham constituency since 1977, attending the Brudenell Secondary School for Girls (now the Amersham School) and then at Dr Challoner’s High School.

She then worked in Lloyds bank in Amersham before moving to Lloyds Private Banking, followed by seven years working for an IT company in Chesham.

Emma was awarded the CBE in the 2014 New Year Honours List for voluntary political service.

Cllr Mimi Harker said community stalwart, Cllr Pauline Wilkinson MBE, who passed away in 2009, would have been ‘over the moon’ at Ms Pidding’s appointment.

She said: “When I heard the news, straight away I thought it would have been lovely for Pauline to have seen her success. Pauline was very fond of Emma and a huge supporter of her.

"Emma was like her protégé, she would be very, very proud of her and completely over the moon.”