The Cobden Centre is a British economics think tank founded by Member of Parliament Steve Baker and entrepreneur Toby Baxendale. It is one of Europe’s foremost thinktanks developed around the Austrian School of Economics. Contributors include MP Steve Baker, Professor Kevin Dowd, Gordon Kerr of Cobden Partners, MEP Dr Syed Kamall (the head of the Conservative group in the European Parliament), former Cambridge University lecturer Jamie Whyte and MP Douglas Carswell. The editor is Max Rangeley.
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Primary areas of interest
Business cycle theory
The Cobden Centre espouses the Austrian Theory of the business cycle, sometimes known as Hayek-Mises business cycle theory after its two most famous proponents, Friedrich von Hayek and Ludwig von Mises.
Digital currencies
The Cobden Centre has several contributors who have expertise in digital currencies and blockchain technology. The Cobden Centre will be organising a four-day exhibition in the European Parliament in November 2015 showcasing digital currencies to the MEPs. It is the first of its kind in any Parliament in the world and will involve demonstrations of Bitcoin ATMs and other related technologies.
The Cobden Centre is named after Richard Cobden, the 19th century classical liberal who campaigned against the Corn Laws and in favour of free trade and individual liberty. The Cobden Centre has a commercial arm called Cobden Partners, which specialises in advice on economics from an Austrian School perspective.