The document outlines the structure and rules of British parliamentary debate, including roles of the government and opposition teams, as well as the significance of motions and points of information. It details the responsibilities of various speakers in the debate, including how to handle points of information and the processes for rebutting arguments. Overall, it provides a comprehensive guide to the mechanics of formal debating, emphasizing strategy and effective argumentation.

4. Debate
a formal discussion on a
particular topic in a public
meeting or legislative assembly,
in which opposing arguments
are put forward.

5. British Parliamentary Debate
the most commonly used
format for competitive
debating.

6. Terminologies
• Motion
• Point of Information
• Rebut/Rebuttal
• Government
• Opposition

7. Motion
• Every debate has a motion;
this is the issue for
discussion.
• A good motion has clear
arguments in favor of it and
against it.

8. Point of Information (POI)
• Points of Information are a very
important part of BP.
• They enable you to keep involved
throughout the whole debate,
rather than just during your five
minutes are up.

9. Point of Information (POI)
• They do not figure too heavily in
most judging decisions, but in a
close round where the teams are
all similarly good at style and
content could be the deciding
factor.

10. Rules for POI
• It could be offered during
unprotected time.
• They should be offered by members
of the opposite side only.
• You offer a point of information by
standing and saying “point of
information”.

11. Rules for POI
• Speakers may accept or decline the
point of information in any way they
like; the simplest is by saying “yes
please”, or “no thank you”.
• Points of Information should be quick
and to the point (no more than about
• fifteen seconds).

12. How to deal with POI
1. Dismiss them briefly and then
get on with your speech (if it
was a stupid point).
2. Answer them more fully and
merge your answer into what
you were going to say next.

13. How to deal with POI
3. Say that you are planning to deal with
that point later on in your speech and
carry on where you were. If you do this,
you absolutely MUST make it utterly
explicit when you refute the point later
on. You must not use this as a ducking
tactic since adjudicators will notice.

14. Rebut/Rebuttal
is a form of evidence that is
presented to contradict or
nullify other evidence that has
been presented by an adverse
party.

15. Government
supports the motion.

16. In supporting the motion, the
Government carries out these functions:
• Defining the motion
• Constructing a positive case in favor
of the motion
• Providing substantive materials and
arguments in support of the case
• Responding to any challenges made
to the case made by the Opposition

17. Opposition
Opposes the motion.

18. In negating the motion, the Opposition
carries out these functions:
• Responding to the Government's
definition
• Constructing a case in opposition to the
motion
• Providing substantive material and
arguments in support of the opposition
case
• Responding to the arguments delivered
by the Government.

19. The Four Teamsin Debate
• Opening Proposition Team
• Opening Opposition Team
• Closing Proposition Team
• Closing Opposition Team

20. Opening Proposition Team
First speaker
1. Define the motion (see below).
2. Outline the case he and his partner will
put forward and explain which speaker will
deal with which arguments.
3. Develop his own arguments, which
should be separated into two or three
main points.
4. Finish by summarizing his main points

21. Opening Proposition Team
Second speaker
1. Re-cap the team line.
2. Rebut the response made by the first
opposition speaker to his partner’s speech.
3. Rebut the first opposition speaker’s main
arguments.
4. Develop his own arguments – separated into
two or three main points.
5. Finish with a summary of the whole team
case.

22. Opening Opposition Team
First speaker
1. Respond to the definition if it is unfair or
makes no link to the motion. You can re-define
(offer an alternative interpretation of the
motion), but this can be risky and should only be
done when the definition is not debatable
(usually better to complain a little and hope the
adjudicator gives you credit – “well this is a silly
definition but we’re going to debate it and beat
you on it anyway” approach).

23. Opening Opposition Team
2. Rebut the first proposition speech.
3. Outline the case which she and her
partner will put forward and explain which
speakers will deal with which arguments
4. Offer additional arguments (roughly 2)
about why the policy is a bad idea, or
develop a counter case (i.e. an alternative
proposal). This decision is largely based on
the circumstances of the debate, and only
experience will provide guidance on this.

24. Opening Opposition Team
Second speaker
1. Rebut the speech of the second
proposition speaker.
2. Offer some more arguments to support
your partner’s approach to the motion.
3. Summarize the case for your team,
including your own and your partner’s
arguments.

25. Closing Proposition Team
First speaker
The first speaker must stake his team’s
claim in the debate by doing one of the
following:
1. Extend the debate into a new area (i.e.
“this debate has so far focused on the
developed world, and now our team will
extend that to look at the important
benefits for the developing world)

26. Closing Proposition Team
2. Introduce a couple of new arguments
that make the case on his side more
persuasive.

27. Closing Proposition Team
Second speaker
The last speech of a debate is known as a
Summary Speech. In it you should step
back and look at the debate as a whole
and explain why on all the areas you have
argued your side has won. You can:
1. Go through the debate chronologically
(this is not very advanced and usually not
very persuasive either).

28. 2. Go through one side’s case and then
the other.
3. Go through the debate according to
the main points of contention (this is
the most persuasive and advanced way)
explaining why on each of the main
issues that have been debated have
been won by your side.
Closing Proposition Team

29. Closing Opposition Team
First speaker
This is very similar to the second prop
role.
1. You must rebut the new analysis of the
third proposition speaker.
2. You must also bring an extension to the
debate – i.e. extend the debate into a new
area or bring a couple of new arguments
to the debate.

30. Second speaker
• Like the closing proposition, the last
opposition speaker must devote their
whole speech to a summing up and
should not introduce new of
Information
Closing Opposition Team

31. Government Side
• Prime Minister
• Deputy Prime Minister
• Member of the Government
• Government Whip

32. Prime Minister
• offer a reasonable interpretation of
the motion
• present a case supporting that
interpretation
• employ other strategies deemed
necessary in advancing the
Government's stance

33. Deputy Prime Minister
• to reestablish the First
Proposition’s case by confronting
any refutation presented by the
Leader of the Opposition
• refute some or all of the
arguments presented by the
Leader of the Opposition

34. Deputy Prime Minister
• further develop the case
presented by the Prime Minister
• employ other strategies deemed
necessary in advancing the
Government's stance.

35. Member of the Government
• to briefly support the case developed
by the First Proposition team
• to introduce a different argument,
sometimes called a “case extension”
which is consistent with yet different
from the case introduced by the First
Proposition team

36. • to employ other strategies
deemed necessary in advancing
the Government's stance.
Member of the Government

37. Government Whip
• to support any new arguments
introduced by the Member of the
Government
• to reply to any new arguments
introduced by the Member of the
Opposition

38. Government Whip
• to summarize the debate from the
perspective of the Proposition Teams,
especially from that of the Second
Proposition team
• to employ other strategies deemed
necessary in advancing the
Government's stance.
• The Government Whip should not
introduce new arguments into the
debate.

39. Opposition Side
• Leader of the Opposition
• Deputy Leader of the Opposition
• Member of the Opposition
• Opposition Whip

40. Leader of the Opposition
• directly or indirectly refute part or all
of the government's case
• make at least one argument that
demonstrates why the First
Opposition team opposes the motion
as interpreted by the Prime Minister

41. • employ other strategies deemed
necessary in advancing the
Opposition's stance.
Leader of the Opposition

42. Deputy Leader of the Opposition
• continue refutation initiated by the
Leader of the Opposition
• reestablish the Leader of Opposition’s
arguments against the motion
• initiate a new argument against the
motion as interpreted by the First
Proposition team

43. • employ other strategies deemed
necessary in advancing the
Opposition's stance.
Deputy Leader of the Opposition

44. Member of the Opposition
• briefly support one or more
arguments introduced by the First
Opposition team;
• introduce direct and/or indirect
refutation to the case extension
presented by the Member of
Government

45. • introduce some new argument,
compatible with, but different from
that of the First Opposition Team
• employ other strategies deemed
necessary in advancing the
Opposition's stance
Member of the Opposition

46. Opposition Whip
• support any new arguments
introduced by the Member of the
Opposition
• reply to any new arguments
introduced by the Member of the
Government;

47. • summarize the debate from the
perspective of the Proposition Teams,
especially from that of the Second
Opposition team
• employ other strategies deemed
necessary in advancing the
Opposition's stance.
Opposition Whip