Sir Edward Garnier QC, a former solicitor general who is acting on behalf of Lord McAlpine, told the court that because of the huge amount of publicity around the Newsnight programme "only an idiot in a hurry" could not have known the meaning of the tweet.

BBC: Sally Bercow tweet 'pointed to Lord McAlpine'

Like him, Kelly Clarkson received so much free publicity just by appearing on the programme, that it may not even matter what this song sounds like.

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The official Vatican spokesman, Father Federico Lombardi, has stated that the Pope will not agree to any meeting that takes place in the full glare of media publicity, and that anyway the Pope's crowded programme during his 26-hour visit to Malta is unlikely to leave a window for such an opportunity.

BBC: Disappointment as Pope speaks in generalities

"Maybe he thought this remark to be amusing, but I think it is very disrespectful to compare a poll among 1, 513 British inhabitants of the islands, which was a publicity stunt that has no legal effect, no legal grounds, " she told BBC Radio 4's PM programme.

BBC: Falkland Islander June Besley-Clarck