Profile

Frank Field a veteran Labour MP and co-author of this week's report on hunger has been in Parliament for more than 30 years, representing Birkenhead, which contains some of the most deprived wards in the country. Most remarkably, perhaps, he was one of those who told Margaret Thatcher, shortly before she resigned, that it was time for her to go We’ll hear from friends, both Labour and Conservative, who speak warmly of a man of dogged determination and great personal integrity. But we’ll also hear from critics who say he’s not a natural team player who was failed in his brief period as a member of Tony Blair's first government.

Ashraf Ghani emerged as the President of Afghanistan in what was a drawn-out and controversial election. He is a United States-trained anthropologist who was born in Afghanistan, studied in Lebanon and the United States, and worked for years for the World Bank. But can he turn his intellectual vision into political reality at this vital moment of transition in Afghanistan?

How did a refugee from Bosnia end up in the House of Lords? Arminka Helic is the quiet power behind one of British politics’ least likely unions; that of the Conservative Foreign Secretary William Hague and the Hollywood director Angelina Jolie. Mark Coles hears her story.

Grace Mugabe, First Lady of Zimbabwe and the wife of controversial leader Robert Mugabe has spent a lifetime in her husband’s shadow. Now she is fuelling rumours that she hopes to succeed her husband as President. But does she have the skill and the support to secure the top job and a Mugabe dynasty? Jo Fidgen questions how much ‘soft’ power she already has over her husband and whether she makes a credible political leader?

Overnight Benedict Cumberbatch became an object of obsession with a Cumber-cult following of adoring fans, spawning internet memes and slash fiction fantasies. What is it about him that makes the world go weak at the knees? Becky Milligan provides an insight.

Sir Andrew Green is to become a member of the House of Lords. As the founder of Migration Watch UK why did this former ambassador become a campaigner for tighter controls on immigration? Jo Fidgen talks to Sir Andrew's old friends and colleagues in an attempt to find out what motivated him to become one of the UK's most influential voices on immigration.

Man Booker prize winner, Richard Flanagan, became the fourth Australian to win the coveted award. Becky Milligan looks into Flanagan's life in his native Tasmania where he is a prominent environmental campaigner and a regular at the local pub.

Douglas Carswell has been elected as UKIP's first elected MP in Westminster. His surprise defection in the summer from the Conservatives shocked his friends and supporters so Ed Stourton asks what made him leave and is there more to Douglas Carswell than jam-making and politics?

How did a single mother from Birmingham, who has spent the last several years on benefits, become famous across the country? Mark Coles profiles Deirdre Kelly, aka White Dee.

Ricky Tomlinson is a top TV actor with a controversial trade union past. Mary Ann Sieghart discovers a powerful mix of politics and personal drama in his life and career. Producer: Ben Crighton Editor: Richard Knight

How did Shane Smith, a hard-partying, tattooed former Canadian punk rocker turn a community magazine into an international multi-media empire? Mark Coles finds out.

How did Jack Ma, a teacher with no business training, become one of China's - indeed, the world's - most successful entrepreneurs? Kamal Ahmed finds out.

Edward Stourton profiles Rona Fairhead, the woman nominated to replace Lord Patten as chair of the BBC Trust. Who is she, and how will she fare in one of the BBC’s toughest jobs?

There is every sign this weekend that Russia's proxy war with Ukraine could become a full-blown conflict between states. The crisis now coming to a head has been in the making ever since Ukraine declared its independence from Moscow in the summer of 1990. Edward Stourton profiles the Ukrainian leader, Petro Poroshenko, who must now face the challenge of war - and who came of age and flourished during his country's first turbulent two and a half decades as a modern independent nation. Producer: Bob Howard

Sir Nicholas Macpherson is largely unknown outside Whitehall but as head of the Treasury since 2005 he has become a key figure in the Scottish independence debate. Chris Bowlby explains why he's so influential, and how his involvement in the Scottish debate is informed by personal links as well as policy considerations