How to Debate (British Parliament Style)

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Last Updated: July 24, 2024

British Parliamentary Debate is a debate done on the spot. This article will cover how to debate in this style and will provide some useful tips.

Part 1

Part 1 of 2:

Understanding what a British Parliamentary Debate is

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^{[1]
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Research source} These sides are called "government" and "opposition" or "proposition" and "opposition". Government is supporting the topic given and opposition is opposing it.
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Decide which team gets to get to pick a topic or side. This is generally done by a coin toss and the winner will get preference over choosing the topic or the side.
- With two teams per side, you will be versing not only your side's opposition, but also the other government team.
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The topics are random and the government is supporting the topic given whilst the opposition is opposing it. The topic will always request government to argue for a change (an argument to change something that currently exists), while opposition will argue against the change. Another type of motion does not require a change. This motion will have the word "believe" in it. In fig.2 ^{[2]
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Research source} the government defends a view or belief while the opposition opposes it.
You and a partner receive your topic around 10 minutes before the debate begins. You have these few minutes to prepare your speeches. This is often very nerve-wracking, so it is important to remain cool, calm and collected during this time in order to put together the best case possible.^{[3]
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Points of information can be given to the opposing side when they are speaking. This is in the form of a question, and cannot last more than 15 seconds. Be careful not to offer them more than every 15 seconds as this is called "barracking" and is perceived as extremely rude.
For every debate, the first and last minute are protected time, where you cannot make any Points of Information.^{[4]
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Part 2

Part 2 of 2:

How to argue in a British Parliamentary Debate

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There will be two opening teams - the Opening Government and the Opening Opposition.
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The 'Prime Minister' speaks first. This will be one person on the side of the government, and they must define every important term in the topic. These terms be must defined carefully, because should they fail to do so in the introduction, the side opposition may define those terms in any way that best suits it. (i.e., define the house, define the meaning of the resolution, etc.)
- The Prime Minister will also introduce any contentions (points you wish to use to prove your case) they wish to do. It is imperative that the Prime Minister sets a clear and narrow resolution so that the debate is focused and no too broad. The time limit is generally 5 minutes.
One person on the side of opposition, called the Leader of the Opposition, must refute (prove incorrect) every contention the Prime Minister just made and introduce any contentions they wish to do so. The time limit is generally 5 minutes.
One person on the side of government, called the Deputy Prime Minister, must refute every contention the Leader of the Opposition just introduced and rebuild (re-prove) the Prime Minister's contentions whilst introducing any additional contentions they wish to introduce. The time limit is generally 5 minutes.^{[5]
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The Deputy Leader of the Opposition speaks. One person on side opposition, called the Deputy Leader of the Opposition, must refute every contention of side government, rebuild all of side opposition's contentions and introduce any additional contentions they wish to add.
- Sometimes, it may be against the rules to introduce new contentions in this speech in the last 5 minutes of the speech.
- It is also a good idea to summarize all the points of the opening opposition (the Leader of Opposition and their own points) in this speech, as the Leader of the Opposition is the last person of their side to speak. The time limit is generally 8 minutes.
These two must debate their closing arguments for and against whilst strengthening their team member's points.
They must present an extension to the debate that was done by the opening sides. That is to say, They must open a new side about the issue. This is 5 minutes.^{[6]
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They want to refute the points of the Member of Government, as well as bring in another extension. This is 5 minutes.
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The Government Whip speaks. They have to refute the points of the Member of Opposition. Then, they have to sum up the debate and crystallize it to some main points. This speaker may not bring in ANY new points/extensions/case studies. This is 5 minutes.
- The whip speeches are very important, and it may seem that they have nothing to do during prep time, but they should always be thinking about their case as a whole.
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The Opposition Whip is the last speaker in the debate. They will refute, but may not introduce new contentions. Lastly, they should summarize all the contentions made by his/her side and possibly provide mention what the debate was mainly about. They are to do the same thing as the Government Whip. This is 5 minutes.
- Whip speeches are like a biased newspaper report; they lay out their arguments in a way that makes it look like their team has won the whole debate.

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What does elaboration mean?

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It means to talk about something in a more detailed way, with examples, stories, and clarifications.

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What's a topic to argue on?

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This may be controversial, but how about American gun laws?

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What are some tips for researching for this type of debate?

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First, start with an online search engine just to find any relevant information both for and against your argument. You could also utilize your local library or resources like Google Scholar.

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Tips

Come up with a strategy. There is strategy in debate as well! For example, one strategy could be to make a ton of contentions to overwhelm your opponents. If you know that a few of them make it through unnoticed by your opponents, the judge will have to consider those contentions as valid points. Just know the possible negative consequences of a strategy as well.

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Restate your contentions. Not all judges can efficiently write down every point you make. Sometimes, if you have extra time left, it's good to go back and restate your points. In addition, you should add additional reasoning that support your contentions.

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Even when refuting the opposing side's points, make sure that the refutation is directed towards the Speaker of the House (or the judge).

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