Britain’s most senior statistician has resigned as head of the Office for National Statistics (ONS) following criticism of potential inaccuracies in its economic data.
Sir Ian Diamond announced his immediate resignation citing «ongoing health issues.»
He has led the agency for the past five years, including overseeing national COVID figures during the pandemic.
However, the ONS has recently come under fire from MPs and Bank of England officials over concerns about the reliability of some of its data, particularly its labour market survey.
The ONS’s figures, which encompass various aspects of life and death in the UK, are crucial in guiding government and public bodies on the allocation of taxpayers’ money.
The labour market survey serves as the UK’s official metric for employment levels, but response rates have dropped significantly, leading to a reevaluation of the methodology, with a new model expected by 2027.
The ONS has also implemented changes to its inflation measurement, which influences the Bank of England’s decisions on interest rates, impacting borrowing costs and savings.
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In February, Sir Ian disclosed that he had to make £34m in cuts in recent years amid «a number of inflationary pressures.»
The UK Statistics Authority announced that Emma Rourke, deputy national statistician for health, population, and methods, would assume the role temporarily until «longer-term arrangements» are finalized.
In his statement, Sir Ian expressed, «It has been an honor and privilege to lead the ONS over the past five-and-a-half years, and I have been immensely proud of the pivotal role that independent statistics and data have played in informing critical decisions.»
«Unfortunately, due to ongoing health issues, I cannot dedicate the commitment required for the national statistician role and believe it is the right time for someone else to take over.»