Colette - Introduction to BP

Introduction to British Parliamentary Debating The best way to learn and improve British Parliamentary Debating is by doing Pro Am and Freehills! Ask Ash Feurtado for more details. Colette Mintz

Tonight
1. BASICS
BP debating
Why BP?
Origins of the format
2. THE TEAMS
List/order of teams of speakers
Team roles
Extensions
3. SPEECHES
Opening teams
Closing teams
Scoring
Speaker roles
4. POIS
Offering
Accepting / Rejecting
Good POIs
5. TACTICS
Flagging Extensions
Matter grabbing
6. PREP

Why British Parliamentary Debating?
The World Championships used to be held in the debating style of the host country
Worlds Council decided to use the same style every year
British Parliamentary debating is now the style used at Worlds

British Parliamentary Debating
Key differences to 3 on 3 debating
Four teams and two people in each team
Points of information (questions asked during speeches)
More complicated, more rules, more tactics
Language eg “house, speaker, Prime Minister” etc
Other jargon: halves, benches, diagonals..
Prep time – 15 minutes
Emphasis on role fulfillment
At tournaments: points system
But…
Still a debate (argumentative style persuasion)
Still definition, model, split, method, manner, matter etc

Origins of the format
Based on a Westminster Parliament
Coalition Government
Coalition Opposition
Government and Opposition clash
Each coalition party is consistent with their partner but try to do a better job

List/order of teams and speakers
Four teams
Opening Government OG
Opening Opposition OO
Closing Government CG
Closing Opposition CO
Eight speakers
Prime Minister OG
Opposition Leader OO
Deputy Prime Minister OG
Deputy Opposition Leader OO
Government Member CG
Opposition Member CO
Government Whip CG
Opposition Whip CO

Team Roles
Opening teams essentially do what the Affirmative and Negative team do in a 3 on 3 debate eg
Context
Definition
Model
Split
Arguments
Rebuttal
Clash
ALSO: May try to matter grab

Team roles
Closing teams support the model of their opening team but present something new to support it, this is called an EXTENSION.
They must also rebut and clash with both opposite teams

Extensions
Closing teams must have them
It is something new, distinct, particular, important that supports the opening teams case.
BUT STILL RELEVANT!
Deeper analysis
Re-package
This house would abolish taxes on alcohol and cigarettes that go beyond normal sales taxes
This house would partition the Sudan
Banning the Burqa – Women’s GF 2009 (extension about the EU)
Ban Porn
Funding for IVF
Worlds GF 2010

All teams
Must be active and involved in the debate through the use of POIs

Speech
7 minutes
The first and last minute of each speech are protected
This means that no questions (POIs) can be offered
One knock at 1 min and 6 mins to mark protected minutes
Two knocks at 7 minutes to mark end of speech

Scoring
Technically scores out of 100
In reality scores between 60-90
Best Speaker at Koc Worlds 2010 averaged 86.2. Australs best speaker 77.56 (2010)
Average is still 75
Manner and Matter worth 50 marks each
Method?

Speaker roles
PM – Context, define, model, split, arguments
OL – Clash, countermodel, rebut, split, arguments
DPM – Rebut, support contention/model with new arguments
DOL – Rebut, support contention/model with new arguments

Speaker roles
GM – Extension, rebut, arguments
OM – Extension, rebut, arguments
GW – Rebut and summarise focussing on Extension
OW – Rebut and summarise focussing on Extension

Points of Information
Question can be offered to the speaker by members of the opposite bench
Questions may be accepted or rejected by the speaker

Offering POIs
How to offer? Stand up
How many to offer? 10 per speech
How to deliver if accepted? 15 seconds
Be ready. Even great debaters need to write them down in advance…
"rich people are better with money than poor people... don't you think?
"don't you think your model might have (awkward pause) violence...making...consequences?"

Accepting / Rejecting POIs
You can accept or reject
How to reject? Wave down
How to accept?
How to answer? Directly, don’t waste too much time!

Good POIs
Short sharp and direct
Tom Chapman: If the number of representatives of your Asian parliament is going to be determined by population is it true that Indonesia (population of over 230,000,000) is going to have 46 times the number of members than Singapore (approx 5,000,000)?
Attacking/ rebutting
Clarification
Closing teams:
Flagging
Early on in the debate: be careful about what you ask!

Tactics
‘ Flagging your extension’
‘ Matter grabbing’
‘ Shutting out’
‘ Staying in’

Prep – Closing teams
List
Flesh out a few

Colette - Introduction to BP

by Monash Association of Debaters on Aug 02, 2011

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