Late last week the head of the Office for National Statistics, Sir Ian Diamond, revealed that he is stepping down for health reasons following more than five years in post

Professor Sir Ian Diamond has stepped down from his position as head of the Office for National Statistics and Government Statistical Service due to health issues.

Announcing his exit on Friday, Diamond (pictured above) said in a statement: “It has been an honour and a privilege to lead the ONS over the past five and a half years and I have been immensely proud of the prominent role that independent statistics and data have played in informing the critical decisions of the day.

“Unfortunately, I have made the decision that, due to ongoing health issues, I am unable to give the commitment to the role of national statistician that I would like to, and feel that it is the right time for somebody else to pick up the baton. I wish the ONS every success as it continues to make progress into the future.”

Diamond’s departure is with immediate effect. Emma Rourke, deputy national statistician for health, population and methods, will take over the role on an interim basis.

The Office for National Statistics said in a statement that Diamond has led “with passion and commitment” in his five-and-a-half years at the helm. It said his contribution includes playing a leading role in the response to the Covid pandemic, delivery of insights to inform the UK humanitarian response to the Ukraine conflict, and “delivering a hugely successful Census 2021”.

Dr Sarah Cumbers, chief executive of the Royal Statistical Society,  offered her sincere thanks for Diamond’s contribution, adding that he “showed outstanding leadership of the ONS and the wider statistical system”. 

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Cumbers added that “given the recent scrutiny of the system, we look forward to engaging with the Cabinet Office and the UK Statistics Authority to consider how the national statistician role should evolve, and to working with Sir Ian’s successor to address the ongoing challenges facing our statistical system”.

UK Statistics Authority chair Sir Robert Chote added his praise for Diamond’s “tireless energy and passionate dedication he has brought to the role of national statistician and to championing the vital role of statistics across society more broadly”.

Chote said Diamond has “overseen many successes over his tenure during a remarkable period of economic and societal change, particularly during the pandemic”.

He added that Rourke “will be acting up in his place and I know she will continue to drive forward the ONS with a renewed focus on high quality economic and population statistics for the public good as set out last month in the 2025/26 ONS Strategic Business Plan”.