British Parliamentary Debating and Adjudicating Points

What is a British parliamentary system?

Videos to watch on BP debates.

 Tom Stansfield - https://youtu.be/8GrREnb5Tb8

 Will Jones - https://youtu.be/sOkEGJk8bEc
 Kiran (BP Adjing) - https://youtu.be/JobCI3It7k8
Structure of a BP Debate
 Each debate has 2 sides - Gov + Opp
 Each side has 2 teams - the Opening team and the Closing team - with 2
speakers in each
 The closing half speak once all of opening has finished, to “extend” on the
debate.
 BP debates are structured in the following way,

 You have 4 teams that compramises of 2 members each, and all 4 teams
compete against each other.
 Even if you are a part of the opposition as the closing opposition, you are still
competing with the opening opposition.
 Usually, every speaker gets 7 minutes and adjudicating is for 15 minutes of
deliberation.
 There are 6 clashes that happen in the debate and each clash will be validated.
So structuring rebuttal and clash points for opposing teams and building an
argument is important.
 The primary method of adjudicating is by a comparative and holistic approach.
There are no good or bad arguments, only worse or better. You evaluate a team’s
argument against the arguments made by the other team, and not in isolation.
 When you compare two teams, soley through the comparison made by the two
teams. (Eg: CG Vs CO, CO Vs OO)
  It is important to note that if you are in CO, or CG, your arguments has to be a
new extenshion or a new argument for the motion in place, and not derivative
from the OG or OO’s arguments. If you don’t, you will loose to opening teams
simply because you don’t have independent contributions. Closing contributions
must be independently di erent.

Roles of the Teams

OPENING GOVERNMENT

 Prime Minister - first to speak and opens the case for the Government,
 Deputy Prime Minister - third to speak, adds to OG case

OPENING OPPOSITION

 Leader of Opposition – second to speak, opens the Opposition case,

 Deputy Leader of Opposition – fourth to speak, adds to the opp case,

CLOSING GOVERNMENT

 Member of Gov – opens the closing Half

 Gov Whip – closes the Gov side

CLOSING OPPOSITION

 Member of Opp – speaks second in closing and opens opp case

 Opp Whip – closes debate for the Opp side

Speaker roles in depth

1. OPENING HALF

PM/OL; “sets up the debate”, model, makes it clear what government stands for
principledly. Opposition responds to PM and establishes why they are against
that motion.

DPM/DOL; builds on the government/opposition case by adding new material,

taking material away from closing, and responding to gov/opp.
 In the opening half make sure you answer these 2 questions,
a. Where has this been done before?
b. Who wants this?
Be clear on characterization of your arguments and points.
Make the arguments in full.

2. CLOSING HALF

Gov/Opp Member: Introduces their EXTENSION and responds to previous

speakers where they can.

Gov/Opp Whip: The final speakers for their respective sides, their role is to use
the extension that their member has presented and use it to show why their
closing side has won. (Clash point analysis)

Don’t commit to your extension too early.

Be thinking of ways that you will be able to beat other teams in the debate.
Make it very clear what your extension is.

What is an Extension?

 An extension is a new contribution of material put forward by closing teams that

aims to be the most important material in the context of the debate.
 An extension can be a radically new piece of material, or it can take an existing
piece of material and developed further. It is basically anything new.
 Teams can run multiple points of extension, and these points can be new
substantive or new rebuttal (in the same way a second speaker might make a
piece of rebuttal into a new point of substantive).
 When an extension is indistinct from material brought by an opening team, the
extension is considered “derivative” and is unlikely to be debate winning. Make
sure you emphasise what is new/di erent
 Generally aim to do one of two things
- New argument to shift the focus of the debate
- An argument that aims to decisively win the existing clash of the debate
 How to come up with extensions?
1. Create a new argument (new stakeholders/contexts/areas)
 2. Flip the opening argument (if they said what’s great about something push
what happens If this motion doesn’t happen)
3. Deeper analysis of opening’s arguments (make sure this is clearly new and
highlight the importance of the contributions)
4. New rebuttal (should be framed as a key argument that disproves key parts of
the opposition case)

Points of Information

 The speaker can turn down the question. Teams should take 3-4 POIS between
them. Un strategic to take more than 2 for a speaker.

 When - you cannot ask a question during ‘protected time’, which is the first and
last minute of the speech

 Why POI’s? This allows opening teams to be relevant in closing half and closing
teams to allude to their case in opening half.

 In most BP debates not taking a POI is not a big issue, but when it comes to fine
line or close comparison’s of teams then its considered

 Tips for POIs

- When o ering:
1. Don’t do spontaneous rebuttal
2.WRITE THEM DOWN
3. While waiting to be taken think about how you might answer them
- When Taking
1. Take them when you want, don’t prioritize them over your arguments
2. Prioritize taking them from the stronger opposition team
3. Gives some sort of immediate response

- How to ask?

○ Think of what function they are meant to play?

○ Contradictions/tensions

○ Failure of logic

○ Laying a trap or areas for extensions

 ○ Don’t simply just point out missing analysis – that just helps them build a
better case!

What is Knifing?

● You’re closing and your opening done something silly. Now what?

● When to knife

○ Opening has put you in a crappy position, viability of the debate

questionable. Not just something you would prefer.

○ Opposition has made it a major issue, this is not just a minor thing.

● How to do this

○ If not part of the model, rather just a version of events consequently. Then
you can have your own version, minimize tension and friction.

○ If part of model, need to show it was not an integral part of the motion and
that a reasonable debate can happen if it no longer exists.

Important points to note for each team.

Opening Government

1. Carry out a calm and steady argument.

2. There is a limit to what can go wrong, run a simple substantive case (what is the
problem, how this policy fixes it, why it’s the only option)

3. Your goal is to remain relevant for the whole debate

 Find the best material of the debate and own it.

 Make sure you ask POIs!

Opening Opposition

1. To win f you need to put forward a substantive case with its own harms and (if
relevant) own ways to solve the problem. Then need to prove them comprehensively

2. Try not to get sucked into running arguments about whether this can be implemented

3. Like OG, you need to make sure you remain relevant throughout the debate. Focus on
substantively proving a case that clashes with OG.

4. Use POIs!
Closing Teams

● Member

○ You need to get the extension into the debate and take control of the
debate. Make sure your rebuttal is linking back to your extension and is
not just extraneous.

● Whip

○ Need to do more than just a 3rd speaker

○ Need to show that your material wins you the debate. (Clash point
Analysis)

○ There is a balancing act between focusing on your extension and what

has happened in the debate around it. Make sure you’re getting your
extension in to as many facets of the debate as possible.

● POI’s at Closing

○ While the opening half is happening, you should be trying to lay traps or
find ways to broaden the debate (i.e. does it apply in this context or to this
stakeholder).

○ Do not give away your extension until it is the speech before your member
speaks. You do not want the opening team to cover that material.

○ POIs to closing half are about attacking their extension or forcing them to
respond to yours.

Specific thoughts on Positions.

● Closing Government

○ Government whip is the only speaker that can respond to CO. Make sure
to push back at them where possible.

● Closing Opposition

○ Ensure the whole extension is out on Opposition Member as whip is

limited it what they can add.

● Figure out main clashes and win them.

● Deal with stronger teams
How don’t they credit an argument?

1. Time Management

2. Accents and Style

3. They don’t credit an argument based on whether you think the motion is easier on one
side.

4. Contradictions reduce the persuasiveness of arguments.

5. They don’t credit argument based on metrics that you think are important.

 They will only credit an argument based on the materials argued by the team. If
you feel an argument is primary for the motion, spending more time in it can build
a persuasiveness among adjudicators.
 It is also important to note that when other teams say something good and
interesting it doesn’t mean the argument is great, the adjudication is based on the
materials both the teams present and how persuasive they were in comparison to
other.

How to prove arguments?

 The extent to how an argument or a clash point is proven is mainly considered

when evaluating the teams. And, you should focus on the critical burdens in your
argument and prove them during your debate.
 What mainly you must focus here is the why? Why a motion is good or bad and
then follow up with proof and address the critical burdens.
How to do rebuttals, responses and interact with arguments?

 The main function of your rebuttal is to create doubts in the opposing teams clash
point and also establish that your argument is better in that clash point.

The e ects of responses could be:

1. No E ect – Never do this

2. Put doubt on the validity of the argument.

3. Mitigate the argument.

4. Completely disprove the argument.

 The main point considered when judging these debates are to over all look at
who proved their argument better.

Evaluating Closing Contributions

 This could be completely new arguments, new rebuttals, new examples or proof
but you can also bring new extensions points or analysis for ideas that was
already presented by your opening.
 New arguments or novelty is not only the metric used to judge the closing team,
they will also be considering whether the new material brought in is a meaningful
addition to the round.
 They don’t credit knifing – Which is when you contradict arguments of the
opening teams. But you can strategically extend and explain the arguments.