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Many view the BBC as one of the long-standing establishments of Britain that has, so far, stood the test of time. It has branched out across the globe, with its BBC World platform one of the most respected in the media industry. Not only this, but it has challenged media coverage in countries where freedom of speech and the press is virtually non-existent.

In Iran, for example, its Farsi branch has long been contested by the powerful theocracy.

Yet, the BBC faces a bigger challenge in its perception at home.

Both sides of the political spectrum accuse the broadcaster of bias to the left or right – something which many claim proves it is doing its job.

Recently, Emily Maitlis, the host of Newsnight, was pulled-up for her stinging attack on Dominic Cummings.

And, in 2017, the BBC’s political editor, Laura Kuenssberg, was also found to have inaccurately reported the views of then Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn on the terror attacks in Paris.

From 2004 to 2012, British media executive, Mark Thompson, brought the BBC into the digital age as its director-general.

Known to be outspoken, Mr Thompson had his say on the BBC’s alleged bias during a 2010 interview with the New Statesman.

He claimed the corporation used to be riddled with “left-wing bias”.

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He said: “In the BBC I joined 30 years ago (as a production trainee, in 1979), there was, in much of current affairs, in terms of people’s personal politics, which were quite vocal, a massive bias to the left.

“The organisation did struggle then with impartiality.

“And journalistically, staff were quite mystified by the early years of Thatcher.”

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Yet, as the years went on, Mr Thompson revealed that the corporation became more of a “broad church”.

He explained: “Now it is a completely different generation.

“There is much less overt tribalism among the young journalists who work for the BBC.

“It is like the New Statesman, which used to be various shades of soft and hard left and is now more technocratic.

“We’re like that, too.

“We have an honourable tradition of journalists from the right (working for us).

“It is a broader church.

“The BBC is not a campaigning organisation and can’t be, and actually the truth is that sometimes our dispassionate flavour of broadcasting frustrates people who have got very, very strong views, because they want more red meat. Often that plays as bias.

“People think: ‘Why can’t they come out and say they are b*******?’

“And that can play out on left and right.”

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