John Edwards, the UK's Information Commissioner, announced his formal resignation on Friday, effective immediately, after voluntarily stepping back from his duties in February amid a workplace investigation into unspecified conduct.
Background and Investigation
Edwards, who took up the post in January 2022, had been under investigation since February, during which time he had continued to draw his £200,000 annual salary while withdrawn from his duties, despite moving back to New Zealand.
Writing on LinkedIn, Edwards said that while he has not agreed with how the investigation into him has been conducted, he has come to accept that his position 'has become untenable.' He acknowledged that he had 'exercised poor judgement and made attempts at humour that were inappropriate and caused offence,' which led to his decision to resign.
Impact on the ICO
Because the Information Commissioner is a statutory role accountable directly to Parliament, Edwards' decision to step aside in February left his statutory functions without their designated holder, forcing the regulator into temporary governance arrangements.
His deputy, chief executive Paul Arnold, took on those responsibilities and was designated temporary acting accounting officer for the office. Edwards agreed to step back from all contact with ICO staff and not to enter its offices while the investigation proceeded.
Future of the ICO and Reforms
The next steps, including the search for a successor, will be determined by the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT). Edwards' departure comes at a transitional moment for the regulator, which is set to be replaced by an Information Commission in the future, with its functions, staff and ongoing matters transferring to the new corporate structure.
Edwards would have become the chair of the Information Commission's board. The investigation into him is understood to have contributed to the transition stalling, with the delayed reforms coming as the numbers of regulatory investigations launched by the ICO have dwindled, from more than 2,000 in 2019 to just over 200 in 2025.
More than 3,000 potential cases have not yet been assigned, including 133 dating back to 2023. The government has not yet commented on the matter, and the search for a new Information Commissioner is expected to be announced in due course.
Biography of John Edwards
Edwards, a New Zealand lawyer, served as that country's Privacy Commissioner from 2014 to 2021 before being appointed to the UK role. He had notified Ian Murray, the minister for digital, government and data, of his resignation as Information Commissioner and as Chair of the Information Commission.
Edwards said he did not wish to be 'a distraction to the ICO's important work,' and his resignation is effective immediately. The future of the ICO and the Information Commission will be shaped by the outcome of the reforms and the appointment of a new Information Commissioner.
- John Edwards resigned as UK Information Commissioner due to an investigation into his conduct.
- The investigation was launched in February, and Edwards had been withdrawn from his duties since then.
- Edwards acknowledged exercising poor judgement and making attempts at humour that were inappropriate and caused offence.
- The ICO is set to be replaced by an Information Commission in the future, with its functions, staff and ongoing matters transferring to the new corporate structure.
- The numbers of regulatory investigations launched by the ICO have dwindled, from more than 2,000 in 2019 to just over 200 in 2025.
Source: The Record