Shaking Up the Stats Game: Leadership Changes Made in Statistics Authority Following Scathing Review

Sir Robert Chote has stepped down as chairman of the UK Statistics Authority amidst mounting criticism surrounding the integrity of the Office for National Statistics (ONS). Earlier this year, a damning government review exposed ”deep-seated” issues within the ONS, prompting concerns from the Bank of England regarding the reliability of key job market data critical for economic policy decisions.

In a bid to address these challenges, Cabinet Office Minister Pat McFadden emphasized that new leadership was essential to restore confidence in the statistics that guide governmental policies. He stated, ”new leadership was critical” to swiftly tackle the problems identified.

The Cabinet Office’s top civil servant, Catherine Little, indicated that a different chair would be in a ”more credible position” to implement changes based on the review’s findings. Sir Robert, who has held his position since 2022, will transition to a role as president of Trinity College, Oxford in September.

While a senior source from the Cabinet Office denied that Sir Robert was compelled to resign and asserted it was his own decision, they acknowledged that formulating effective government policy is challenging without trustworthy statistics. They noted that lacking an accurate depiction of the situation complicates policy-making, reinforcing the urgency behind the need for improvements.

This resignation is part of a broader pattern of instability within the organization, with Sir Ian Diamond, the former national statistician, also departing in May due to health issues. The ONS plays a critical role in collecting and disseminating data that impacts government decisions related to state benefits, housing, migration, and crime.

In response to the troubling report, acting national statistician Emma Rourke expressed her support for the findings and acknowledged the significance of the issues raised, hinting at a commitment to remedy the cited failures.