David Miliband has confirmed that the annual South Shields Lecture which will take place June 3 will feature former US politician, Hillary Clinton.
The ex-Secretary of State and Mr Miliband will talk politics at the lecture itself, with those in attendance invited to ask questions throughout the seminar.
The event this June will be the 18th lecture in a series which initially began in 2001, and will be the 12th ceremony to be held at Harton Academy.
Read more: Everything you need to know about Hillary Clinton's Durham mining past
Speaking on the event, David said: "I am immensely proud that Hillary Clinton has agreed to come to South Shields to deliver the 2022 South Shields Lecture.
"At a time of national and global instability and challenge, Hillary has a remarkable perspective on the challenges facing the world, and the solutions that are needed to build a more equal, sustainable and secure future.
"Hillary has a lifetime of experience in public life, and it is testimony to her zest for new ideas and open conversation that she is coming to South Shields in June. There is nothing like in person dialogue to fire up imagination and commitment, and I am looking forward to an evening that is inspiring as well as instructive. I know Hillary will get a warm North East welcome, and I believe she will repay the warmth with insight and ideas.”
Hillary, added: "I know how proud David is of South Shields, so I was delighted to accept his invitation to deliver the 2022 South Shields Lecture. My Great Grandfather lived just down the road from South Shields in Durham, so in some ways I feel I will be coming home!
"The world is facing so many challenges and we need more discussion about how to build a more secure world for our children and grandchildren. I look forward to my discussion with David and the people of South Shields.”
Sir Ken Gibson, Executive Headteacher at Harton Academy, also commented: “We are absolutely delighted and thrilled at Harton to be able to host David’s annual lecture for the 12th consecutive occasion.
"We couldn’t have wished for a better or more interesting guest than Hillary Clinton, and the local audience will be delighted to hear Secretary Clinton and David in conversation.
"Tickets will be in incredibly high demand and we fully expect a very packed hall amid huge interest in this special event.”
Recent speakers at the annual event include former England footballer, Gary Lineker, previous Prime Minister, Sir John Major and musical inspiration Sting. Jo Brand, Estelle Morris, Allan Bennett, Patrick Stewart and David Walliams are a few other familiar faces who have spoken at the lecture in the past.
The event, which is completely free of charge is in partnership with Colman's Seafood, Education Mutual and Durham University and early application is advisable for tickets before they run out of seats.
Tickets are also limited to two per household, with priority being given to those in the NE33 and NE34 postal codes.
To find out more, visit Harton Academy's official website, here.
