Pidgeon was born in Eastleigh, Hampshire, on 29 September 1972 to Eric and Valerie Pidgeon.[3] She grew up in Hampshire, and was the first member of her family to go to university, graduating from Aberystwyth University with a degree in economics in 1994.[4][5] After university, Pidgeon moved to London.[6]
At the 1998 local election, Pidgeon was elected as a Liberal Democrat councillor for Southwark London Borough Council, representing the ward of Newington.[7] During her time on the Council, she served as deputy leader of the council (from 2002 to 2004), and as a cabinet member for Education (2004–2006) and Children's Services (2006–2008).[3][5]
Between 2002 and 2010, Pidgeon was a board member of Lambeth and Southwark Housing Association.[5] Pidgeon has also been a Trustee of the Centre for Literacy in Primary Education since 2005.[6]
In the 2008 London Assembly election, Pidgeon was selected as the Liberal Democrats' candidate for the Lambeth and Southwark constituency; she came second to Labour's Valerie Shawcross.[8] In the same election, she was the third candidate on the party's London-wide party list and was thereby elected onto the London Assembly.[9] Pidgeon was re-elected in 2012 and again in 2016.
In September 2015, Pidgeon secured the Liberal Democrats' candidacy for the 2016 London mayoral election.[13] Pidgeon promised to focus on housing, affordable childcare, air pollution and public transport.[14] She emphasised the need to ensure that workers can live in the city by using rent control and reducing public transport costs.[14] She increased the Lib Dem vote from 4.2% to 4.6% but the party remained in fourth place. She held her seat on the London Assembly as the only Liberal Democrat.[15] She ranked 13 out of 50 on the Top 50 Influential Lib Dems of 2020 list.[16]
Pidgeon was reelected as one of two Liberal Democrat members in the 2021 London Assembly election. In November 2022 she announced that she would not seek reelection in the 2024 election.[17]
Peerage
After standing down from the London Assembly, Pidgeon was nominated for a life peerage in the 2024 Dissolution Honours.[18][19][20] She was created Baroness Pidgeon, of Newington in the London Borough of Southwark, on 12 August 2024.[21]
Personal life
Pidgeon lives with her husband, Paul Miles, whom she married in 2006, and their son. Outside of politics, she enjoys cinema and modern art.[3][6]