Baroness Blatch, former Education Minister under John Major's premiership and Tory spokeswoman on schools and universities in the House of Lords since 2000, has died aged 67.
The baroness, who took her seat in the Lords in 1987 after serving as leader of Cambridgeshire County Council, had been receiving treatment for cancer since 2003 and died on Tuesday.
Tory leader Michael Howard said: "Emily was a wonderful friend and a fantastic colleague. She was loyal and dedicated."