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Britain has appointed Canada’s chief statistician to repair the reputation of its discredited economic data, ending a lengthy search for a new head of its Office for National Statistics.
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André Loranger will become Britain’s new national statistician more than a year after Ian Diamond’s resignation, according to a government statement. Loranger has been Canada’s chief statistician for over two years and has worked at Statistics Canada for almost three decades, according to his LinkedIn profile.
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The ONS has been trying to restore the credibility of the United Kingdom’s economic data, after a crisis of confidence triggered by a collapse in survey responses. In 2023 the U.K. statistics office had temporarily suspended the publication of key labour market estimates, including the unemployment rate, over accuracy concerns, before errors were found in other crucial economic data sets, like inflation.
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The ONS has been working on a new online-led labour survey to take its place, though delays have pushed back its launch well into 2027.
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The crisis at the ONS reached its peak last year when Diamond stepped down on health grounds and a damning government report exposed deep-seated cultural problems within the institution. Officials have expressed their frustration at the long wait for a new National Statistician. The U.K. Statistics Authority, which oversees the ONS, is also without a permanent chair.
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Penny Young, interim chair of the UKSA, said Loranger will “further drive improvement, as we continue to improve our economic statistics and prepare for Census 2031.”
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