British American Parliamentary Group (BAPG)

The British American Parliamentary Group (BAPG) International Visitor Leadership Program, a high profile exchange that takes place annually and has been administered by Meridian International Center consistently over the past 10 years. In partnership with the Department of State, British parliamentarians (MP) are welcomed to the U.S. to take part in an intensive ten day exchange that includes Congressional appointments in Washington, several days of shadowing a Member of Congress in their home district, and a closing session in Boston that ties all of their experiences together while learning about the functions of the local and state government. These exchanges seek primarily to strengthen U.S.-U.K. relations and educate parliamentarians on the U.S. federalist system of government; in addition, the program offers the opportunity for participants to examine the role of non-governmental players in the formation of domestic and foreign policy.

"The friendship of the British people with the people of the United States is deep and abiding...It seems appropriate that by this Motion we here in this House should strive to complete the circle of comradeship." The Rt. Hon. Anthony Eden, MP, Leader of the House, 1944

The Group itself was created by a House of Commons motion in 1944 with the aim of promoting "friendly relations and mutual understanding between Members of Parliament in the U.K. and Members of Congress in the U.S. by arranging for the exchange of collegial visits and information between these two groups of legislators and providing opportunities for discussion on matters of common interest and concern." This mission eventually became formal professional exchange initiative under the International Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP) in 1977.

"I have watched the development of fraternal relations between our Congress and the British Parliament for a long time with deep satisfaction. All Americans take pleasure in this healthy and cordial evolution." President Franklin D. Roosevelt, 1944

The most unique characteristic of this exchange is the weekend visit to congressional districts where parliamentarians shadow their counterparts in Congress. These experiences often include opportunities to take part in local cultural events, learn about campaigns during an election year, and engage with a constituency that is similar to their own in the U.K. To date there have been over 200 parliamentarians that have been matched over 100 congressional members. In 2018 Meridian welcomed 6 additional MP's to continue the longstanding exchange program.

Learn More

This form needs Javascript to display, which your browser doesn't support. Sign up here instead

Ten Fast Facts

The British American Parliamentary Group (BAPG) was founded in 1944
The BAPG became a formalized International Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP) in 1977
Congressman Robert Aderholt (Republican - Alabama, 4th District) has hosted the most MP's, standing at a record of 12
Five Senators - Sen. Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), former Sen. Jon Kyl (R-AZ), former Sen. Mark Kirk (R-IL), Sen. Chris Murphy (D-CT), and former Sen. Mark Pryor (R-AZ) - have hosted MP's
According to the data below, 56 Republicans and 50 Democrats have hosted MP's
Illinois has been represented most in the BAPG, with 11 Representatives hosting MP's
Four governors - Gov. John Kasich (OH), former Gov. Bob Wise (WV), former Gov. and current Rep. Charlie Crist (FL), and former Gov. Ted Strickland (OH) - have hosted MP's in the past
According to the data below, MP's have shadowed congressional members in at least 36 states
Prime Minister Theresa May (2004) and current mayor of London Sadiq Khan (2006) are alumni of the BAPG IVLP
Meridian has had 30 years of experience administering the BAPG IVLP since its inception

Congressional Hosts

Thus far, more than 200 parliamentarians have participated in the BAPG including current British Prime Minister Theresa May (2004) and current mayor of London Sadiq Khan (2006). Each year the program team works to secure hosts for the incoming MP's using raw data provided by the U.S. Embassy in the United Kingdom and the Department of State to match them with a member of Congress that represents a similar constituency. Congressional members throughout the past 40 years of the exchange include 12-time host Rep. Robert Aderholt (R-Alabama, 4th District), two-time host Gov. John Kasich (then Rep. Kasich, R-Ohio, 12th District), and former U.S. Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood (then Rep. Ray LaHood, R-Illinois, 18th District).

A comprehensive list of Congressional hosts can be seen below. Years that are not listed indicate either Meridian did not administer the program or the names were not readily available. Out of respect for the privacy of the parliamentarians, we have elected not to publish their names without their express consent. Those names that are published in any provided content are persons who have given prior consent.