After attending Ballingry Public School until the age of 14, George began work in the coal mines.

A bill to indemnify George from the consequences of having acted as an MP while disqualified, and to validate his election, was also passed.

However, this did not harm his career and in October 1959 he was appointed parliamentary secretary to the Ministry of Power with responsibility for the coal industry, a job he held until June 1962.

In 1963, he was made a Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire and appointed chairman of the Unionist Party in Scotland.

He stood down from Parliament at the 1964 general election and retired from his party posts in 1965, returning to business as chairman of Scottish Rexco Ltd and Preswick Precision Products Ltd.