Rock legend Bono will address the Labour Party conference in Brighton to voice his fears about the spread of Aids in Africa.

The lead singer of internationally-acclaimed U2 will be Prime Minister Tony Blair's star guest at the annual event which opens on Sunday.

The Dublin-based musician will bring his Debt, Aids, Trade Africa (Data) campaign to Brighton after speaking before both the Democrat and Republican conventions in the United States. He is expected to share the stage with Mr Blair and Chancellor Gordon Brown on Wednesday, September 29.

Next week Bono will lend his backing to the Make Poverty History project. He said: "The year 2005 is our chance to go down in history for what we did do rather than what we didn't."

He has teamed up with Jubilee 2000 campaigners and Live Aid organiser Bob Geldof to bring pressure on Western governments to tackle global poverty.

He will follow in the footsteps of global statesmen Nelson Mandela and Bill Clinton by addressing the Labour conference.

The 44-year-old pop star has welcomed the Government's decision to increase funding to fight Aids across the world. Mr Brown has announced funding would increase from £300 million a year to £550 million from April 2007.

Mr Blair is said to have cancelled an invitation to Iraqi Prime Minister Iyad Allawi amid concerns this would create a focus for anti-war MPs and campaigners.

Ken Livingstone, the Mayor of London, who returned to the Labour fold after being expelled from the party, will also speak at the conference, alongside Culture Secretary Tessa Jowell on the London bid for the 2012 Olympics.