British parliamentary debate is a prominent academic debate style originating in 1800s Liverpool, featuring four teams with specific roles and responsibilities. The format includes various national and international championships, and it emphasizes a structured approach to arguments presented and rebutted by the speakers. Key components include defined responsibilities for each speaker and the use of points of information to facilitate interaction during the debate.

1. BRITISH PARLIAMENTARY
DEBATE
BY:
THEA MICHELLE

2. BRITISH PARLIAMENTARY DEBATE
 British Parliamentary style debate is a major form of academic
debate that originated in Liverpool in the mid 1800s. It has gained
wide support across countries in Europe, Africa, Asia, Oceania, and
North and South America.
 It is the official style of the World Universities Debating
Championship (WUDC); of regional and national major tournaments
such as the Pan African Universities Debate Championship (PAUDC),
All Nigerian Universities Debate Championship (ANUDC), Zimbabwe
Debate Championship (ZiDC), Asian British Parliamentary (ABP)
debating championship, Lagos Debate Open (LDO) and European
Universities Debating Championship (EUDC); as well as of non-
English language tournaments such as the World Universities
Debating Championship in Spanish and World Debating
Championship in Portuguese Language.

3. BRITISH PARLIAMENTARY DEBATE
The British Parliamentary debate format differs from
many other formats because it involves four teams
rather than two. Two teams, called the “First
Proposition” and the “Second Proposition” teams, are
charged with the responsibility of supporting the
proposition while two other teams, “First Opposition”
and “Second Opposition,” are charged with opposing
it.
Two speakers represent each of the four teams and
each speaker gives a speech of seven minutes.

4. THE FOLLOWING CHART DESCRIBES THE BASIC
FORMAT AND TIME LIMITS. AS YOU WILL SEE
FROM THE CHART, EACH SPEAKER IS GIVEN A
UNIQUE TITLE.

5. RESPONSIBILITIES FOR EACH
SPEAKER:
 The PM has three basic responsibilities:
• DEFINE the motion for debate. In order to
properly define and interpret the proposition, the
Prime Minster should do the following:
• SET the parameter.
• CONSTRUCT a case for the proposition,
consisting one or more arguments supporting
the PM’s interpretation of the motion.
OPENING GOVERNMENT:
PRIME MINISTER

6. RESPONSIBILITIES FOR EACH
SPEAKER:
The LO has three primary responsibilities:
• ACCEPT the definition and interpretation of the
proposition.
• REFUTE part or all of the PM’s case.
• PROVIDE one or more arguments in opposition to
the PM’s interpretation of the motion.
OPENING OPPOSITION:
LEADER OF OPPOSITION

7. RESPONSIBILITIES FOR EACH
SPEAKER:
 The DPM has four primary responsibilities:
• DEFEND the case presented by PM.
• REFUTE any independent arguments presented by
LO.
• ADVANCE one or two arguments to the case
presented by PM.
OPENING GOVERNMENT:
DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER

8. RESPONSIBILITIES FOR EACH
SPEAKER:
The DLO has three primary responsibilities:
• DEFEND the refutation offered by the LO.
• DEFEND the arguments offered by the LO.
• ADVANCE one or more new arguments to those
being offered by the First Proposition team.
OPENING OPPOSITION:
DEPUTY LEADER OF THE
OPPOSITION

9. RESPONSIBILITIES FOR EACH
SPEAKER:
 The MG has three primary responsibilities:
• DEFEND or CHALLENGE the general perspective of
the Opening Government.
• CONTINUE REFUTING arguments made by the
Opening Opposition.
• ADVANCE one or more new arguments that are
different from but consistent with the case offered
by the Opening Government.
CLOSING GOVERNMENT:
MEMBER OF GOVERNMENT

10. RESPONSIBILITIES FOR EACH
SPEAKER:
 The MO has four primary responsibilities:
• DEFEND the general direction taken by the Opening
Opposition.
• CONTINUE REFUTING of the case as presented by the
government bench.
• PROVIDE more specific refutation of the arguments
introduced by the MG.
• ADVANCE one or more new arguments that are
consistent with, yet different from, those presented by
the Opening Opposition.
CLOSING OPPOSITION:
MEMBER OF THE OPPOSITION

11. RESPONSIBILITIES FOR EACH
SPEAKER:
 The GW has four basic responsibilities:
• REFUTE the extension offered by the Member of
Opposition.
• DEFEND the extension offered by the Member of
Government.
• POINT OUT fallacies if necessary, of some speakers
from the other side of the bench.
CLOSING GOVERNMENT:
GOVERNMENT WHIP

12. RESPONSIBILITIES FOR EACH
SPEAKER:
The OW has four basic responsibilities:
• REFUTE the extension offered by the Member of
Government.
• DEFEND the extension offered by the Member of
Opposition.
• POINT OUT fallacies if not mentioned, of some
speakers from the other side of the bench.
CLOSING OPPOSITION:
OPPOSITION WHIP

13. POINT OF INFORMATION
POIs provide opportunities for
members of each team to interact
with members of the teams defending
the opposite side of the motion.

14. GENERAL RULES FOR
POI:
 To request a point of information, a debater
rises and politely says something like “point of
information please,” or “on that point.”
 The debater giving the speech has the
authority to accept or to refuse the request for
a point of information.
 In general, debaters should accept a
minimum of two points during their speech so
that the judges and the audience will know they
are able to answer points quickly and directly.

15. GENERAL RULES FOR
POI:
 If the request for a point of information is
accepted, the person who has requested the point
has a maximum of fifteen seconds to make the
point.
 After accepting a point of information, the
speaker should answer the question directly.
 The person offering the point of information is
not allowed to follow-up with additional questions.
 Organizers try to avoid scheduling teams from
the same school against each other, although it
sometimes can occur.

16. GENERAL RULES TO FOLLOW
DURING ROUNDS:
 There are no Points of Order, or Points of Personal Privilege.
 Once the topic is given out, teams must prepare for
impromptu debates on their own without help from pre-
prepared notes, electronic devices, debaters on other teams,
coaches, adults, etc.
 Coaches should not judge their own students, unless the
organizer has specifically approved, something that will only
happen when there is no other option.
 If coaches are just watching rather than judging a debate, they
should not make comments during or after the debate,
although they may make comments to their own students
privately after the debate.

17. TERMS AND ACRONYMS TO
FAMILIARIZE:
1. THBT
2. POI
3. Knifing
4. Break
5. Break Room
6. Chair Judge
7. CA
8. Power Pair
9. Swing
10. Squirrel
11. Wing
12. Tab
13. Open Motion
14. Open Round
15. Outround
16. Convenor
17. Crash
18. Composite
19. Pull up
20. Roll

18. THANK YOU!
The floor is now open to
entertain questions,
clarifications, and
strategical suggestions.