Tim G. Congdon CBE (born 1951))[1] is an economist, educated at Colchester Royal Grammar School and St. John's and Nuffield colleges at the University of Oxford,[2] with a long record of commenting on public policy issues, including writing sympathetically about the monetarist approach to macroeconomic policy. He has considerable experience working in the City of London and was the founder of the macroeconomic forecasting consultancy Lombard Street Research. Between 1993 and 1997 he was a member of the Treasury Panel that advised the Conservative government on economic policy, sometimes referred to as the "wise men".[3][4] Congdon has been a prominent defender of the UK Government's action to lend to Northern Rock, claiming that it was quite likely to make money for the government.[5] He is a small shareholder in Northern Rock, a fact that he has disclosed publicly when writing on this issue.[6]
Since May 2008, he has been the economic correspondent for Standpoint magazine.[7] Long a self-proclaimed Eurosceptic, Congdon stood as United Kingdom Independence Party candidate for the Forest of Dean constituency in the 2010 General Election, obtaining 5.2% of the votes cast and saving his deposit. In October 2010 he stood unsuccessfully for the leadership of the party.
In January 2011 Congdon became the Hon. Chairman of The Freedom Association. He is on the Advisory Council of Reform.[8]