Chris Bowlby profiles the veteran Labour MP and co-author of this week's report on hunger, Frank Field, who is one of the most unusual politicians in Britain.

Variously described as "independent-minded" and a "free thinker" Field has been in Parliament for more than 30 years, representing Birkenhead, which contains some of the most deprived wards in the country.

He had to fight off a hard left challenge from Militant at the beginning of his career and he has long been a campaigner against poverty. His radical views on welfare haven't always endeared him to his Labour colleagues but he is famous for the friends he has made across the political divide.

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.

Producer: Tim Mansel.