The British Consulate-General, Los Angeles is the United Kingdom's local consulate for Southern California, as well as Arizona, Utah, Hawaii, and Clark County (Las Vegas), Nevada, and American Samoa and the US Pacific territories. There is also a Consulate-General in San Francisco. The focus of the consulate is on British investment in the area (the UK is the largest foreign investor in California), as well as assisting British expatriates and tourists in the area.
List of Consuls-General of the United Kingdom to Los Angeles
- 1943â€"1945: Eric Arthur Cleugh
- 1945: Henry Livingston
- 1945â€"1947: John Carvell
- 1948â€"1954: Sir Robert Hadow
- 1954â€"1957: Sir Michael Gillett
- 1957â€"1959: Riversdale Stone
- 1959â€"1964: Sir Herbert Gamble
- 1964â€"1965: Peter Dalton
- 1966â€"1974: Albert Franklin
- 1974â€"1981: Thomas Aston
- 1981â€"1984: George Finlayson
- 1985â€"1989: Donald Ballentyne
- 1989â€"1992: Reginald Holloway
- 1992â€"1997: Merrick Baker-Bates
- 1997â€"2001: Paul Dimond
- 2001â€"2005: Peter Hunt
- 2005â€"2009: Robert Peirce
- 2009â€"2013: Dame Barbara Hay
- 2013â€"present: Chris O'Connor
History
During the nineteenth century, the British Consulate established deep and extensive ties along the West Coast. Much of the history of Los Angeles is a history of British innovators, from Charlie Chaplin to Raymond Chandler to the architect John Parkinson. Hawaii’s first European visitor was Captain James Cook, who died on the Big Island: the Union Jack is part of its state flag, testifying to old British connections there. The post was upgraded from a Consulate to a Consulate-General in 1943.
Residence
Set in historic Hancock Park at 450 South June Street, the Residence was designed by the renowned Los Angeles architect Wallace Neff, and completed in 1928. It has been the home of successive British Consuls-General since the British Government purchased it in 1957. The Residence is used for many events, all for the purpose of enriching and developing the multifarious connections between Britain and Los Angeles in business, politics, education,culture, science and many other fields of endeavour. The Consul General welcomes several thousand guests to the Residence every year.
Current functions of the Consulate-General
Political, Press and Public Affairs
The Political, Press and Public Affairs section acts as a point of contact between UK and US officials. PPPA manage media enquiries, arrange official visits and exchanges between the UK and the US, administer the selection process for the Marshall Scholarship scheme for the LA consular region, and work on projects across the spectrum of FCO Strategic Priorities. These include climate change, international security and education, and the sharing of public policy best practice between the UK and the US.
UK Trade & Investment
UK Trade & Investment (UKTI) welcomes opportunities and challenges that globalisation offers. UKTI works by supporting UK-based businesses to hunt out and seize opportunities overseas. UKTI encourages the best overseas companies to look to the UK as their global partner of choice. The goal of UKTI is to provide insight and services which position businesses to prosper internationally in an increasingly global marketplace. UKTI tailors its expert services, provides information and guidance to meet the needs of individual businesses with goals to expand internationally. UKTI provides businesses with knowledge, advice and practical support during all stages of a business’s international expansion process. For the last two years, Los Angeles has been the best performing UKTI team in terms of inward investment. It includes 6 sector teams, Financial Services, Creative and Media, Clean Technology, ICT, Aerospace and Life Sciences.
Science & Innovation
The Los Angeles Science and Innovation team is part of the US Science & Innovation Network, with additional teams in Washington D.C., Boston, San Francisco and Houston. The Los Angeles team is a resource to US companies and individuals who are interested in learning about high-tech research or industry opportunities in the UK.
The Science and Innovation Network promote international research and industry collaboration in high-tech fields. The LA team is especially open to assisting small, West Coast companies and start-ups with the process of expanding to the United Kingdom.
The team ensures that the UK is fully informed about science and technology developments on the West Coast. They also work to promote awareness of the UK as a world-class leader in science and technology. Through contacts in US industry, academia and research institutions, the Science and Innovation team identifies opportunities in technology and innovation of interest to the UK.
Visa Section
The UK Border Agency office in Los Angeles has closed and UK visa applicants should apply through UK Visas and Immigration in New York. The UK Visas and Immigration in New York works in partnership with a commercial organisation, WorldBridge. You can find out whether you need a visa and how to apply through WorldBridge’s website (WorldBridge). WorldBridge also provides information through an e-mail and telephone enquiry service. All the information provided is supplied and approved by the UK agency.
Affiliated Organisations
British Council
The British Council office in Los Angeles offers West Coast representation for British Council USA. The LA office delivers programs in the areas of Education, Arts, Climate Change, and Intercultural Dialogue. The key programs include: Education Marketing and Research, International Climate Champions, Writer-in-Residence, GlobalXchange, and Transatlantic Network 2020.
VisitBritain
VisitBritain is Britain's national tourism agency, responsible for marketing Britain overseas. VisitBritain collaborates with thousands of organisations in the UK and overseas to market Britain successfully to visitors from around the world. They also work to promote the tourism industry within the UK itself.
British Film Commission
The British Film Commission's US office was established in Los Angeles in 2003, representing the British Film Commission and the UK film industry in North America. It is a conduit between the US and UK film industries, with specific focus on attracting film production into the UK and to facilitate the promotion & export of UK films, talent, skills & services in the US. The British Film Commission US supports the Department of Culture, Media and Sport, where relevant, on UK film matters in the US and liaises with the British Embassy in Washington D.C., the British Consulate General, Los Angeles and other Consulates in the USA.
British-American Business Council
The British-American Business Council Los Angeles, a non-profit organization formed in 1959, is affiliated with the International BABC and plays an important role in supporting the tremendous UK business presence in California. BABC objectives are simple: promoting friendship and commerce by supporting economic growth between the US and the UK. They are committed to the principles of free trade, open markets, strengthening private enterprise, the unrestricted flow of information and promoting bilateral trade and investment. BCBA works closely with the UK and US Governments and have many local, regional and global alliances to attain our objectives and help meet our members’ needs.
References
External links
- British Consulate-General in Los Angeles
