Mark Thompson told the right-of-centre Spectator magazine that there was an institutional bias when he joined the organisation, reinforcing the findings of a 2007 internal report which concluded that greater efforts were required to avoid liberal bias.

"In the BBC I joined 30 years ago, there was, in much of current affairs, in terms of people's personal politics, which were quite vocal, a massive bias to the left," Thompson said.

"The organisation did struggle then with impartiality. And journalistically, staff were quite mystified by the early years of Thatcher."Now it is a completely different generation. There is much less overt tribalism among the young journalists who work for the BBC," he added.

The 2007 report criticised the organisation?s slow response to the rise of Euroscepticism and immigration concerns, which it said were considered "'off limits? in terms of a liberal-minded comfort zone."

Outlining his hopes for the relationship between the national broadcaster and thenew Conservative-led coalition government, Thompson said: "What we want is an effective and businesslike relationship with government -- it's not about personal relations."