George was first elected to Parliament in a by-election on 13 November 1986 for Knowsley North. In 1997 following boundary changes the seat became Knowsley North and Sefton East, and in 2010 it merged with the old Knowsley South constituency to become Knowsley.
Born on Merseyside, he was educated at Huyton Secondary School, Kirkby College of Further Education, Liverpool Polytechnic and the University of Salford.
George moved into teaching in 1977 after training as an engineer. In 1980 he joined Cooperative Development Services (CDS) and was appointed Chief Executive of the Wales Cooperative Centre in 1982, holding that position until entering the House of Commons in 1986.
He was elected as a councillor to the Huyton District Council in 1971 and served in its successor, Knowsley Borough Council, until 1986. During that time George was chair of the Housing Committee and latterly the Finance Committee. He was also chair of the Knowsley South Constituency Labour Party for four years from 1981.
In Parliament, George served as a Minister in the Home Office 1997-1999 and the Northern Ireland Office 1999-2001. Since leaving the Government in 2001 George has served on a number of select committees, including the Intelligence and Security Committee until 2016. George is currently a member of the Panel of Chairs and the Privy Council.
George was Knighted in the 2019 Queen's Birthday Honours for parliamentary and political service, and he was awarded Freedom of the Borough of Knowsley in March 2022.
