British

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• British
• Parliamentary
• University Debating
• Guide

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• Rules of British Parliamentary
• University Debating
• In each debate there are 4 teams
• 2 in proposition and 2 in opposition.
• Each team consists of two people.
• Each speaker has five or seven minutes to speak

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(No Transcript)
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Judging criteria

• Style (40)
• Content Rebuttal (40)
• Strategy (20)

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• Tips for style
• Make eye contact with your audience
• Do not read directly from a pre-prepared speech
• Vary your speaking tone
• Do not speak too quickly or too slowly
• Speak clearly so that you can be heard by all
• Use humour

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• Tips for content
• Provide a clear analysis of the motion
• Use relevant arguments, logically explained
• Employ good examples to back up the arguments
• Work as a team with your partner
• Provide arguments and evidence to show how the
  other side is wrong
• Use Points of Information effectively

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• Tips for rebuttal
• Relevance to the motion
• Inaccurate or deficient facts or statistics
• Generalisations
• Inconsistency between your opponents arguments

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• Tips for strategy
• Use a clear structure for your speech
• Use all of your time, do not stop too soon or go
  on too long
• Identify the key issues in the debate
• Allocate the most time to the most important
  issues in the debate
• Do not contradict your partner

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• Structure
• Points follow coherently on from one another
• Three main areas
• the introduction
• the arguments
• the summation

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• Introduction
• Tell the room what you are going to talk about in
  your speech
• Needs to be short and to the point
• First proposition speaker must DEFINE the motion.
  

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• Arguments
• The argument consists of two sections
• your own constructive arguments
• your rebuttal
• Clearly tell what argument you are rebutting
• or which of your arguments you are talking
• about

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• Summation
• During (approximately) the last 30 seconds of
  each speech
• Summarise what you have been saying
• Repeat your main arguments
• Repeat your main rebuttal points
• Finish on time!

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• Structure
• You should not have more than three or four
  different arguments
• Only look at two or three examples to support
  each argument
• Divide your speech into sections and signpost
  each section

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• Structure
• Summarise all your arguments at the end of your
  speech
• Timing is very important, give appropriate time
  to arguments
• Debaters should show they understand what the
  focus of the debate is

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• Points of Information (P of I)
• P of I are questions or points made by the
  opposition to try to unsettle the speaker
• You should accept at least one P of I during your
  speech but no more than three
• When offering a P of I it should be short and to
  the point - Ensure you offer plenty of points
  but NEVER barrack!
• The person speaking is in charge

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• Points of Information
• Points of information are not mini-speeches
• Each team member should aim to give at least two
  points of information during each opposition
  speech
• A speaker is advised not to accept so many points
  or to reply to them at such length that a line of
  argument is lost (accepting 2 to 3 points is
  normal).
• If a point is accepted, then a reply is essential
  either immediately or later in the speech

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• Role of 1st proposition speaker (Team 1)
• defines the terms in the motion
• outlines the team line and main arguments of the
  team
• announces the division of arguments amongst
  speakers
• presents their arguments (their part of the case)
• accepts maximum 3 points of information
• summarises

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• Role of 1st proposition speaker (Team 1)
• Define the motion so that it
• is reasonably close to the plain meaning of the
  topic
• allows the opposition speaker team reasonable
  room to debate
• is not tautological or truistic
• is otherwise a reasonable definition

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• Role of 2nd proposition speaker (Team 1)
• defends proposition definition (if challenged)
• rebuts opposition case
• proceeds with arguments
• accepts maximum 3 points of information
• summarises

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• Important rules for 1st prop team
• Keep it clear - avoid confusing cases
• Get onto the motion quickly
• Ensure you use the best arguments
• Speak clearly

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• Role of 1st opposition speaker (Team 1)
• in exceptional circumstances deals with problems
  in definition
• outlines the team line and main arguments of the
  team
• Tackles the main arguments of the proposition
  (rebuttal)
• announces the division of arguments amongst
  speakers
• presents their arguments (part of case)
• accepts maximum 3 points of information
• summarises

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• Role of 2nd opposition speaker (Team 1)
• rebuttal
• outlines the team line and main arguments of the
  team
• presents argument
• accepts maximum 3 points of information
• summarises
• Really push your good points and
• deal with any cracks in your teams case

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• Important rules for 1st opposition
• Use the best arguments and keep it clear
• Look for the glaring flaws and contradictions in
  the prop case or undermine the main basis of the
  prop case
• If the proposition has put forward a plan argue
  that the plan simply wont work or the apparatus
  would be ineffective
• Remain calm, work together and make sure you have
  a broad range of knowledge

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• Role of Speakers in second teams
• Need to introduce new arguments and distinguish
  itself clearly from first teams
• The first speaker must add in new material and
  continue the debate
• The second speakers summarise the debate and do
  not introduce new material

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• Role of 1st Proposition Speaker (Team 2)
• outlines the team line and main arguments of the
  team.
• must introduce new material (extend the debate)
• Tackles the main arguments of the opposition
  (rebuttal)
• presents the arguments
• accepts maximum 3 points of information
• summarises

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• Role of 2nd Proposition Speaker (Team 2)
• Summarise the debate noting major thematic
  points/arguments during the debate
• no new arguments may be presented
• Summarise the whole debate
• Emphasise what your side brought to the debate
  and why your side won

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• Role of the 1st speaker opposition (Team 2)
• outlines the team line and main arguments of the
  team.
• must introduce new material (extend the debate)
• Tackles the main arguments of the proposition
  (rebuttal)
• presents the arguments
• accepts maximum 3 points of information
• summarises

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• Role of the 2nd speaker opposition (Team 2)
• Summarise the debate noting major thematic
  points/arguments during the debate
• no new arguments may be presented
• Summarise the whole debate
• Emphasise what your side brought to the debate
  and why your side won

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• Second Opposition Team
• The second speaker sums up the whole debate and
  is the last person the judges will hear
• This speech must be well structured and the key
  points concentrated on
• It is often useful to try to separate the whole
  debate into two or three distinct areas

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• Useful Websites
• www.walesdebate.org.uk
• www.britishdebate.com
• www.debatabase.com