In the UK there is certainly very strong support for free market orthodox views - "modern orthodocy."

In matters of political-economy, where the US leads, the UK tends to follow.

And there are influential conservative thinktanks in the UK as well:

Adam Smith Institute
Policy Exchange

Policy Exchange is a more recent one, used by Cameron a lot, I believe.

I am not sure if they are at all on the same scale as in the US, but they exist. I do believe they also serve as a kind of employment insurance for politicians, as they do in the US.

In the UK some thinktanks have charitable status, which is weird considering charities are supposed to be apolitical.

Here's a link to a list of thinktanks:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/page/2007/dec/20/1