Cobden Club

British economic group

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June 24, 2026

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The Cobden Club was a British organization founded to perpetuate the principles of Richard Cobden, a prominent politician and advocate for free trade. Cobden, along with John Bright, led the Manchester school, which championed laissez-faire economic policies and free competition.12

Cobden was instrumental in the successful campaign to repeal the Corn Laws in 1846, arguing they were economically harmful and morally unjust. The Anti-Corn Law League, which he helped build, was a highly effective pressure group that mobilized public opinion and influenced Prime Minister Sir Robert Peel to repeal the laws. The Cobden Club continued this legacy, promoting free trade principles after Cobden's death.13

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Richard Cobden
…to be shared by the Cobden Club, founded to perpetuate his principles. The strain of the protracted Anglo-French negotiations undermined his health, and he had to spend many months outside London. He died in 1865, having made a last effort to leave his sickbed and attend Parliament to vote against…
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…to be shared by the Cobden Club, founded to perpetuate his principles. The strain of the protracted Anglo-French negotiations undermined his health, and he had to spend many months outside London. He died in 1865, having made a last effort to leave his sickbed and attend Parliament to vote against…
Read More