Introduction to British Parliamentary Debate

Summary

This video provides a comprehensive guide to British Parliamentary (BP) debate formats, explaining the roles and structure of the debate. It covers the two sides—government and opposition—each consisting of an opening and closing team. Each team has specific roles, including the Prime Minister, Deputy Prime Minister, Leader of the Opposition, and others. The process, including speech order, time limits, and points of information, is explained in detail. The closing teams must build on, but not contradict, the opening teams' arguments. At the end, teams are ranked based on their role fulfillment and contribution to the debate.

Takeaways

• 😀 The British Parliamentary (BP) debate format involves two sides: the Government and the Opposition, with each side having two teams: opening and closing.
• 😀 Each debate team consists of two members, with roles assigned as follows: Prime Minister (PM), Deputy Prime Minister (DPM), Leader of the Opposition (LO), Deputy Leader of the Opposition (DLO), Government Member (GM), Government Whip (GW), Opposition Member (OM), and Opposition Whip (OW).
• 😀 Teams are assigned positions randomly in tournaments, and once the positions are set, a motion is introduced. Teams have 15 minutes to prepare.
• 😀 In a BP debate, speeches last 7.5 minutes, with time bells ringing at 1 minute, 6 minutes, and 7 minutes. Points of Information (POIs) can be offered by the opposing side during speeches.
• 😀 The Opening Government’s role is to set up the debate, introduce the topic, and present the key issues. They must provide a debatable situation for the House.
• 😀 The Opening Opposition's job is to rebut the Opening Government’s arguments, present their side of the argument, and discuss key opposition issues.
• 😀 The Closing Government and Closing Opposition must contribute to the debate by providing new perspectives and extending the discussion. They cannot contradict their opening team’s arguments.
• 😀 Points of Information (POIs) are allowed during speeches. A debater offering a POI must stand and ask for permission from the speaker, who can either accept or reject it.
• 😀 The closing teams (both Government and Opposition) must stay aligned with their opening team’s stance and avoid contradicting them, known as 'knifing'.
• 😀 After the debate, teams are ranked from 1 to 4 based on their role fulfillment and overall contribution to the debate. Points are awarded as follows: 3 points for first place, 2 points for second, 1 point for third, and 0 for fourth.

Q & A

What are the two sides in a British Parliamentary (BP) debate?

The two sides in a BP debate are the Government side and the Opposition side.

How many teams are on each side in a BP debate?

Each side has two teams, making a total of four teams in a BP debate.

What are the roles within the opening teams of a BP debate?

In the opening teams, the roles are the Prime Minister (PM) and Deputy Prime Minister (DPM) for the Opening Government (OG), and the Leader of the Opposition (LO) and Deputy Leader of the Opposition (DLO) for the Opening Opposition (OO).

What is the responsibility of the closing teams in a BP debate?

The closing teams are responsible for extending the debate by introducing new angles and analysis, without contradicting the positions set by the opening teams.

What are the key rules for the closing teams regarding their positions?

The closing teams must support their opening team’s stance and cannot contradict the arguments or positions set by the opening teams.

What is the time limit for each speaker in a BP debate?

Each speaker in a BP debate is allotted a maximum of 7.5 minutes for their speech.

What are Points of Information (POIs), and how are they used in a BP debate?

Points of Information (POIs) are questions or comments offered by an opponent during a speaker’s speech. The speaker can either accept or decline the POI, and they help to engage debaters in the debate.

When is a Point of Information (POI) allowed during a speech?

POIs are allowed once the first minute of a speech has passed and can be offered at any time after that, provided the speaker accepts them.

How are the teams ranked at the end of a BP debate?

The teams are ranked based on their role fulfillment and contribution to the debate. The top three teams are awarded points (3, 2, and 1), and the last team receives no points.

What is the role of the Prime Minister in the BP debate?

The Prime Minister's role is to open the debate, introduce the topic, and set up the initial arguments for the Government side.