Edward George, Baron George


Edward Alan John George, Baron George , known as Eddie George, or "Steady Eddie", was Governor of the Bank of England from 1993 to 2003 and sat on the board of Rothschild.

Early life

George was born and grew up in Carshalton, the son of Alan, a Post Office clerk, and his wife Olive. He attended the independent school Dulwich College on a scholarship. Having learnt to speak Russian at Dulwich, he carried out his National Service at the Joint Services School for Linguists. He attended and graduated from Emmanuel College, Cambridge.

Financial career

George joined the Bank of England in 1962. Apart from secondments to Moscow State University, the Bank for International Settlements and the International Monetary Fund, he remained there throughout his career.
After three years as Deputy Governor, he was appointed Governor of the Bank of England in 1993, succeeding Robin Leigh-Pemberton, who became Lord Kingsdown, and retired on the completion of his second five-year term of office on 30 June 2003. During the early part of his governance his successful relationship with the former Chancellor Ken Clarke gained for them the nickname of 'the Ken and Eddie Show'. Upon Labour coming to power the Bank was given independence in setting UK interest rates by Gordon Brown, the incoming Chancellor of the Exchequer. He was succeeded as Governor of the Bank of England in July 2003 by Mervyn King.
George attracted controversy in 1998 when he was widely reported to have made a statement to London newspaper executives implying that unemployment in the north of England was a price worth paying to preserve affluence in the south of the country. He later claimed that his remarks had been misconstrued.

Later life

George served as a Governor of his former school, Dulwich College, between 1998 and 2008, and served as the Chairman of the Governors between 2003 and 2008.
On 18 April 2009, George, a heavy smoker, died of lung cancer.

Personal life

George married Vanessa George, Lady George in Surrey in 1962. They had three children. Dowager Lady George died in March 2017.

Honours

George was appointed Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the British Empire in the 2000 Birthday Honours. He was made a life peer in June 2004 as Baron George, of St Tudy in the County of Cornwall. He was awarded an honorary D.Sc. by the University of Buckingham on 4 March 2000, and appointed a Deputy Lieutenant of Cornwall in March 2006.

Arms