Rima Horton
Rima Elizabeth Horton is an English former academic and Labour Party politician. She was a member of the Kensington and Chelsea London Borough Council from 1986 to 2006, and worked as a senior lecturer at Kingston University.
Early life
Rima Elizabeth Horton was born in the Bayswater neighbourhood of London, the third of four children of Elice Irene and Wilfred Stewart Horton. Her mother was from Wales while her father was London-born. Horton attended the private, co-educational St. Vincent's primary school, City of London School for Girls and later the University of Southampton.She performed in theatre at school and then in several amateur groups, such as the Brook Drama Club which took her to Paris in 1962 when she was only 15. Fellow members reported that she already had a strong presence and a real talent for directing the group. At 18, she won the Most Promising Youngster Award at the Southall Music & Drama Festival, where young Alan Rickman acted beside her.
Career
Horton won election as a Labour Party councillor on the Kensington and Chelsea London Borough Council in 1986, serving as its Chief Whip and a spokesperson on education during her tenure. She lost her place on the council in May 2006, as "part of the national shift". She twice ran as a Labour candidate for Parliament, losing to the Conservative candidate both times. Horton also worked as a senior economics lecturer at Kingston University in London. She retired in 2012.Horton served on the board of directors of The Making Place, a children's charity. She was appointed in 2002 and stepped down in 2005. She has also served on the board of trustees of the Gate Theatre in Notting Hill.