View all newsletters
Sign up for our free email newsletters

Fighting for quality news media in the digital age.

  1. Media Law
December 18, 2012

Lord McAlpine settles libel claims with £310k payout from BBC and ITV

By PA Media Lawyer

Lord McAlpine, who was wrongly implicated in child sex abuse allegations, has settled his libel actions against the BBC and ITV.

The former Tory Party treasurer was not at the High Court to hear the broadcasters' solicitors apologise unreservedly for the damage and distress caused.

His lawyers confirmed that the agreements involved the payment of £185,000 damages by the BBC and £125,000 from ITV, together with substantial costs.

The peer's counsel, Sir Edward Garnier QC, told Mr Justice Tugendhat that the action followed a Newsnight broadcast in November about the alleged sexual abuse of boys at the Bryn Estyn children's home in Wales in the 1970s and 1980s.

Two victims claimed that they suffered abuse "at the hands of a leading Conservative politician from the Thatcher years".

The item did not name Lord McAlpine, but the programme-makers intended him to be the target of the allegations, he added.

"Unfortunately, in fact disastrously, names had already been named," Sir Edward said.

Content from our partners
How PA Media is helping newspapers make the digital transition
Publishing on the open web is broken, how generative AI could help fix it
Impress: Regulation, arbitration and complaints resolution

"Throughout the day on November 2, Newsnight's forthcoming report had been widely trailed on the internet.

"Furthermore, Lord McAlpine's name had been linked to it. In the aftermath of Newsnight's broadcast, Lord McAlpine was widely identified as the subject of Newsnight's allegations.

"In short, Newsnight made the most serious of defamatory allegations about Lord McAlpine, tarring him as a paedophile who was guilty of sexually abusing vulnerable young boys living in care.

"Those allegations are untrue.

"As the BBC now accepts, they were utterly baseless. These disgraceful allegations should never have been made."

Sir Edward said that, before the broadcast, the BBC had not even contacted Lord McAlpine. If it had, he would have told them that he had never been to the home in question.

Furthermore, it was only after the programme aired, that interviewee Steve Messham was shown a photo of Lord McAlpine. Having seen it, he immediately withdrew his allegations and apologised.

Lord McAlpine had nothing but sympathy for Mr Messham and for other boys who suffered abuse, said Sir Edward, adding that he also wished it to be known that he generally held the BBC in great esteem.

But Newsnight had broadcast the most highly defamatory allegations about him, which had not only caused him great distress and embarrassment, but had affected him to his soul.

Topics in this article : , ,

Email pged@pressgazette.co.uk to point out mistakes, provide story tips or send in a letter for publication on our "Letters Page" blog

Select and enter your email address Weekly insight into the big strategic issues affecting the future of the news industry. Essential reading for media leaders every Thursday. Your morning brew of news about the world of news from Press Gazette and elsewhere in the media. Sent at around 10am UK time. Our weekly does of strategic insight about the future of news media aimed at US readers. A fortnightly update from the front-line of news and advertising. Aimed at marketers and those involved in the advertising industry.
  • Business owner/co-owner
  • CEO
  • COO
  • CFO
  • CTO
  • Chairperson
  • Non-Exec Director
  • Other C-Suite
  • Managing Director
  • President/Partner
  • Senior Executive/SVP or Corporate VP or equivalent
  • Director or equivalent
  • Group or Senior Manager
  • Head of Department/Function
  • Manager
  • Non-manager
  • Retired
  • Other
Visit our privacy Policy for more information about our services, how New Statesman Media Group may use, process and share your personal data, including information on your rights in respect of your personal data and how you can unsubscribe from future marketing communications.
Thank you

Thanks for subscribing.

Websites in our network