National Statistical

In his first week as the UK’s National Statistician, André Loranger reflects on what he has learned from a career in official statistics, the values shared by the UK and Canadian statistical systems and why listening to colleagues and users will be central to shaping delivery of his priorities.

As a statistician, it was perhaps inevitable that I considered a few numbers before arriving in the UK. Some of the comparisons between my old and new homes were striking. Canada is the world’s second largest country by area, while the UK could fit into it many times over. Similarly, Canada’s population is spread across six time zones, while the UK operates in just one. On a rather more personal note, while ‘André’ makes the baby names rankings in Canada, albeit without troubling the upper reaches, in the UK it doesn’t feature at all. I’m choosing not to read too much into that particular statistic.

Differences aside, I have been struck by how much the two countries and their statistical systems have in common. Both have long traditions of independent official statistics, operate across complex and devolved systems, and are increasingly looking beyond traditional surveys to make better use of administrative and other data. Above all, both are grappling with the same fundamental challenge: how to meet expectations for more timely and granular data, while maintaining quality, protecting confidentiality and demonstrating value for public money.

Those expectations are growing at a time when the landscape for official statistics is changing at unprecedented speed. Changing user needs, survey fatigue and the proliferation of information, and with it misinformation, are placing new demands on those of us who produce and communicate statistics, while AI and other new technologies and data sources are creating enormous opportunities.

Thankfully, there is a great deal of expertise and innovation across the UK statistical system in these areas, and I am looking forward to building on that work with my new colleagues. I want us to make the most of these opportunities, learning from what is already working well and exploring how new approaches can further strengthen the statistics and insights we provide. But we must do so responsibly and transparently.

I have often described that professional responsibility through four simple words: gather, guard, grow and give. We need to gather the right data, guard it carefully, grow its value by using and combining it intelligently, and give back to society through insights that make a difference. Those ideas sit very naturally alongside the UK’s Code of Practice for Statistics and its emphasis on trustworthiness, quality and value. For me, they all provide a strong foundation for making the most of new opportunities while remaining firmly focused on what users and the public need from us.

And to understand those needs, we have to listen. That is why listening will be an important part of my first weeks and months. One of the things I am looking forward to most is meeting the people behind the data, hearing about their work and learning from the enormous breadth of skills and experience that exists across the UK statistical system.

I am excited to be joining that community and having the opportunity to work with a variety of colleagues. As Head of the Government Statistical Service, I will work with colleagues across government and with the Chief Statisticians of Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland to strengthen collaboration, coherence and comparability. There is considerable expertise across the system, and I want us to make the most of it.

Just as importantly, I will be listening to the people and organisations who use our statistics. That ranges from policy makers to businesses, academics and journalists, but also members of the public trying to make sense of the world around them.

But I am only at the beginning. Rather than arriving with a long list of answers, I am starting with questions: what do people need from the UK statistical system? Where are its greatest strengths? Where can we work better together? And how do we ensure our statistics remain trusted, relevant and useful as the world around us changes?

I am very much looking forward to getting to know colleagues and users across the UK and to working together on what comes next. The aim, though, is already clear: to drive forward a statistical system that works together, listens to its users, embraces innovation responsibly and produces high-quality statistics that people can trust and use.

And, naturally, I’ll continue keeping a close eye on the numbers as I go.