Edward George, Baron George
|
|
Edward Alan John George, Baron George, GBE, PC, (born 1938), known as Eddie George, or "Steady Eddie", was Governor of the Bank of England from 1993 to 2003.
After attending Dulwich College and learning Russian at the Joint Services School for Linguists during his National Service, George joined the Bank after graduating from Cambridge 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.
George was appointed Governor in 1993, and retired on the completion of his second five-year term of office on June 30, 2003. During his governorship the Bank was given independence in setting its interest rates by Gordon Brown, the incoming Chancellor of the Exchequer after the 1997 general election.
He was succeeded as Governor of the Bank of England in July 2003 by Mervyn King. He was given a life peerage in June 2004 as Baron George, of St Tudy in the County of Cornwall.