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The head of the Office for National Statistics has been reduced with an immediate effect, citing “continuous health issues”, as the UK Data Agency fell under fire for shortcomings in the main economic indicators.
Sir Ian Diamond resigned because health issues would say that he was unable to make the full commitment he would like to bring the organization ahead, “said the United Kingdom Statistics Authority, which oversees SAYS.
The diamond has been replaced as national statist from Emma Rourke, the National Deputy Statist on health, population and methods, pending long -term agreements, UKSA said on Friday.
Mike Keoghan, another National EBS Deputy Statist, left the Agency in March.
Diamond exit comes as a summary of UKSA and the cabinet office is considering the leadership, culture and structure of the agency after a series of mistakes in economic indicators, along with delays in data publication.
A sharp decline in the response rates on the SEAST SOLD FORCE FORCE, which supports critical data such as the unemployment rate, has made it difficult for the Bank of England, ministers and researchers to appreciate the UK job market.
A “transformed” LFS, destined to give policymakers a more accurate view, has suffered repeated delays and will now begin only towards the end of 2026.
Last fall, an internal summary of mistakes that caused the survey collapse, found that leadership failures had contributed to a moral crisis in agencies, with poor strategic choices that led to “systematic and complex under investments in surveys”.
A temporary compilation of wider disturbances on the quality of the digits, published last month by the Office of Statistics Regulation, the UKSA regulatory wing, showed “insufficient investment” in data collection.
He called on the SINS to take “crucial action to restore confidence”, less than a week after the agency reported a decrease in true reality in its budget for 2025-26. The EST is now reducing its work in the main areas of policies – including measuring public sector productivity and crime against children – in order to focus on its essential economic statistics.
Diamond, who gained praise during his early stance on how the agency responded to the needs of the Covid-19 pandemic, said in a statement that it had been “an honor and a privilege to lead Once over the last five years”.
But he added that the next phase of surrender to the agency would require “energy leadership”, including the implementation of the findings of the independent probe run by former elderly mahogany Sir Robert Devereux.
“Unfortunately, I have made the decision that, due to constant health issues, I am not able to give commitment to the role of national statistics that I would like and feel it is time for someone else to get the stick,” Diamond said.
