Cynthia Payne through by standing for Parliament as a candidate for the Payne and Pleasure Party in the Kensington by-election in July 1988, followed by her standing in her own area of Streatham for the Rainbow Dream Ticket in the 1992 UK General Election. She did not gain a parliamentary seat. There are two films that are loosely based on her life, both released in 1987: "Wish You Were Here", about her adolescence, with Emily Lloyd in the lead role, and "Personal Services", about her adult life, starring Julie Walters. Both were written (and "Wish You Were Here" was directed) by David
Christine Payne Christine Payne Christine Grace Payne (born 30 December 1956) is an English trade union leader. Payne graduated from Loughborough University and studied industrial relations at Middlesex Polytechnic. In 1979, she began working for the trade union Equity, and was its television commercials organiser from 1981, then its Assistant Secretary (Recorded Performances) from 1991. In 1999, she was promoted to become Assistant General Secretary (Live Performances), and then in 2005 was elected as the union's General Secretary - the first woman to lead the union. Under Payne's leadership, membership of Equity grew from just over 35,000 in 2005, to just under