Steady Eddie and the Commonwealth Education Fund

I was Saddened to learn that Edward George former Governor of the Bank of England whom I had the pleasure of briefly knowing had passed away.

Most people will know him as ‘Steady Eddie’ from his time at the Bank of England, but I came to know him better through his work at with the Commonwealth Education Fund (CEF). The Fund was set up by Prime Minister, Gordon Brown during his time as Chancellor to help the lower income countries of the Commonwealth achieve the ambitious education targets set out in 2000 in the Millennium Development Goals.

Eddie George Chaired the fund from its inception till its close in 2008 and was a passionate about ensuring children across the commonwealth had the best possible start in life. The CEF’s approach was innovative, by bringing together many different groups the fund aimed to make education a top political priority and matter of open public debate in each country in which it operated.

The CEF had a significant impact in the countries in which it worked, and Eddie will be missed by many in the UK and across the commonwealth.