Watford’s Elected Mayor has insisted the town will still come “first” after she was appointed to the House of Lords.

Mayor Thornhill was one of 45 people to be appointed as a peer on Thursday.

But the Liberal Democrat, who came third in this year’s General Election, said she still has a job to do in Watford before she takes up her role in the House of Lords.

Members of the House of Lords who do not hold a position in government or key positions in the house do not get paid a salary. But they can claim a daily allowance of £150 or £300 when they attend the House of Lords.

Mayor Thornhill, who has become a Baroness, said: “It is an unexpected honour and I’m both surprised and delighted and I think it is in recognition of my work in Watford.

“I have no intention of getting involved in the House of Lords until I step down as Mayor. I’m Mayor until 2018 and I have something to look forward to when I retire.

“The job in the House of Lords is to hold the Government to account and I think the experiences I have had in the role as mayor will allow me to do that. I will be a strong voice for localism and devolution and I think the House of Lords needs that.”

Although her full title has not been decided, Mrs Thornhill hopes her title will include Watford in it.

On Thursday, 45 people were appointed to the House of Lords. This included 26 Conservative appointments, 11 Liberal Democrat appointments and eight Labour appointments.

Mrs Thornhill is the second Liberal Democrat General Election candidate to be appointed to the House of Lords after an election defeat in the same year.

In 2010, Sal Brinton was appointed to the House of Lords after losing to Conservative MP Richard Harrington.