N-E honours Gordon and Sir Bob (From The Northern Echo)

N-E honours Gordon and Sir Bob

6:01am Friday 5th January 2007

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CHANCELLOR Gordon Brown and Sir Bob Geldof are to be honoured by one of the region's universities next week.

They are among five people who will receive honorary degrees at a ceremony held by Newcastle University to celebrate the achievements of Make Poverty History, the international campaign for debt relief for impoverished nations.

Mr Brown will receive his honorary Doctorate of Civil Law from an old political adversary.

All the honorary awards will be conferred by the university's chancellor, ex-Conservative Government minister Lord Patten of Barnes.

Other recipients will be political economist Susan George, former Tanzania president Benjamin William Mkapa, and Dr David Golding, who was the North-East development co-ordinator of Make Poverty History.

Mr Brown and Sir Bob, the ex-Boomtown Rats front man turned famine relief campaigner, were seen as instrumental in bringing about significant progress in the drive for greater Western aid for developing nations.

The campaign's aims are to ensure every child receives schooling, to bring about universal access to healthcare, as well as helping to oversee anti-poverty investments and the cancellation of debts owed by the world's poorest countries.

Newcastle University vice-chancellor Professor Christopher Edwards said: "The university is delighted that Gordon Brown has accepted our invitation to receive an honorary degree."

The ceremony will take place at The Sage, Gates-head, on Monday.

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