McAlpine wants ITV payout to be more than BBC

Lawyers for Alistair McAlpine are seeking a larger payout from ITV than the £185,000 they received from the BBC last week, they confirmed.

The former Tory politician’s legal team said they are looking to get a larger figure from ITV’s This Morning show.

The broadcaster sparked fury after presenter Phillip Schofield brandished a list of names of alleged abusers which he had found on the internet and handed it to the British prime minister in a live interview, asking if he would investigate them.

The regulator Ofcom has also launched an investigation, while ITV said disciplinary action had been taken. The broadcaster has been contacted by Mr McAlpine’s lawyers.

Action is also being prepared against some 10,000 Twitter users — including the wife of the commons speaker — who identified the peer in connection with the false sex abuse claims.

Mr McAlpine was mistakenly implicated by Newsnight’s Nov 2 broadcast. Though the programme did not name the peer he was quickly identified online.