Straw to repay Rice hospitality

Jack Straw visited Alabama in October 2005

One of the world's most powerful women, Condoleezza Rice, will be treated to a tour of Blackburn and Liverpool later this year.

The US secretary of state is to be a guest of Foreign Secretary Jack Straw, the MP for Blackburn.

He said he wanted to repay Ms Rice for the hospitality she showed him during his trip to her home town of Birmingham, Alabama.

Mr Straw said it would be a chance to show her how Britain was thriving.

Highlights of Blackburn Largest undercover market in the North West Blackburn Cathedral - home to antiquities of "international significance" Ewood Park - home of Blackburn Rovers FC King George's Hall theatre Tommy Ball's Shoe Emporium - one of the country's biggest shoe outlets (source: Blackburn Council)

Mr Straw revealed details of the visit on Saturday.

"I am delighted that she has accepted and will be able to see how modern Britain is thriving - and not just in the London venues with which she is familiar," he said.

"I will be proud to show Condoleezza Rice the city of Liverpool and my own constituency, Blackburn, during this visit. They are great places with great futures.

"As in Alabama, we will take the opportunity to make speeches together on foreign policy."

The visit is expected to take place some time in 2006, but no specific details have been given for security reasons.