One of the most prominent commentators seen and heard in the broadcast media, the director of Liberty is a fluent and highly persuasive voice in the civil liberties debate. Being a woman, the right side of 40 and from an ethnic minority background (Indian) gives her an edge. Chakrabarti, 39, is no rent-a-quote: her responses can be counter-intuitive and she defends the Government or the police, for instance, where she believes them right. A barrister and bencher of Middle Temple, she worked (during Michael Howard’s tenure) as a lawyer in the Home Office in 1996-2001, before joining Liberty. In 2005 she was voted by BBC Radio 4 Today listeners among the top ten people who could run Britain, was shortlisted in Channel 4 Political Awards last year for “most inspiring political figure” — being beaten by Jamie Oliver but beating Tony Blair and David Cameron — and last year was appointed CBE. She lives in South London, with her husband Martyn Hopper, a litigation partner at Herbert Smith, and their son.

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