Ed Humpherson is the Head of the Office for Statistics Regulation (OSR), the independent regulator tasked with ensuring that official statistics and data serve the public good. Under his leadership, OSR promotes the production and use of high-quality, trustworthy statistics that accurately reflect the society we live in. OSR supports the public’s right to access reliable data and plays a critical role in improving the quality of statistics across UK government departments. When concerns arise about the misuse or misrepresentation of statistics in public debate, OSR steps in to uphold integrity and transparency.

Ed brings extensive experience in economic and public sector accountability. Before joining OSR, he served as a Board Member and Executive Leader for Economic Affairs at the UK’s National Audit Office, a position he held for over a decade starting in 2009. His background as a Chartered Accountant and graduate of the University of Edinburgh provides a strong foundation in financial and data governance.

Beyond his regulatory work, Ed contributes to a range of organisations focused on social impact and economic policy. He is Vice Chair of The Motability Foundation, which supports mobility for disabled people, and a trustee of Pro Bono Economics, a charity that provides economic analysis to voluntary organisations. Ed also holds advisory roles on several influential boards, including the Regulatory Policy Institute, Admin Data Research UK (ADR UK), and the Economic Statistics Centre of Excellence.

His leadership at OSR, combined with his advisory and trustee roles, reflects a deep commitment to ensuring that statistics not only meet high technical standards but also serve society by fostering public trust and informed decision-making.

In his keynote, Ed will draw out lessons from three intense challenges in the life of official statistics in the UK:

• The crisis of public confidence surrounding misinformation
• The surge in interest and demand for data during the Covid-19 pandemic
• The decline in response rates and the quality of economic statistics — an issue that has sparked media and political concern in recent years.