BRITISH PARLIAMENTARY DEBATE

WE DEBATE. WE EDUCATE. UDEP 2018-2019

 OUTLINE OF THE DISCUSSION

• What is British Parliamentary Debate?

• How is it different from other formats of debate?

• Who are the speakers?

• What are their main roles?
• How are they to function in the debate?

WE DEBATE. WE EDUCATE. UDEP 2018-2019

BRITISH PARLIAMENTARY DEBATE

British parliamentary debate is composed of two benches, Government and

Opposition, with two competing teams in each. We have the Opening
Government, Closing Government, Opening Opposition and Closing
Opposition.

WE DEBATE. WE EDUCATE. UDEP 2018-2019

The TIME and ORDER of SPEECHES

Speaker Minutes
Prime Minister 7 minutes
Leader of Opposition 7 minutes
Deputy Prime Minister 7 minutes
Deputy Leader of Opposition 7 minutes
Member of Government 7 minutes
Member of Opposition 7 minutes
Government Whip 7 minutes
Opposition Whip 7 minutes

WE DEBATE. WE EDUCATE. UDEP 2018-2019

 GOVERNMENT BENCH

PRIME MINISTER:

• Define context and parameters of debate.

• Provide concise background or history leading to the issue

• Assert Government stand

• Give framework of government bench's case. I.e. mechanisms (if any),

argumentation flow (what the government's first argument is and what the Deputy
Prime Minister will talk about)

• Introduce 2 arguments

WE DEBATE. WE EDUCATE. UDEP 2018-2019

 OPPOSITION BENCH

LEADER OF OPPOSITION:

• Rebut Prime Minister's argument

• Give framework for Opposition case (if Opp agrees to problem, then their case
should provide solution, or at least effectively highlight how Government proposal
will worsen the situation)

• Assert Opposition stand

• Introduce 2 Opposition arguments

WE DEBATE. WE EDUCATE. UDEP 2018-2019

 GOVERNMENT BENCH

DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER:

• Rebut first argument from Leader of Opposition

• Rebut rebuttals to PM's argument

• Introduce 2 arguments

• Reassert Government stand and case

WE DEBATE. WE EDUCATE. UDEP 2018-2019

 OPPOSITION BENCH

DEPUTY LEADER OF OPPOSITION:

• Rebut DPM and PM arguments

• Rebut rebuttals to LO arguments

• Introduce 2 arguments

• Reassert Opposition stand and case

WE DEBATE. WE EDUCATE. UDEP 2018-2019

 GOVERNMENT BENCH

MEMBER OF GOVERNMENT

• Rebut the OO’s case

• Rebut the previous speaker
• Give extensions
• Clarify the debate

WE DEBATE. WE EDUCATE. UDEP 2018-2019

 OPPOSITION BENCH

MEMBER OF OPPOSITION:

• Rebut the previous speaker

• Provide a new case line
• Give a new extensions

WE DEBATE. WE EDUCATE. UDEP 2018-2019

GOVERNMENT AND OPPOSITION WHIP

• Rebut

• Identify issues

• Rebuild the case

WE DEBATE. WE EDUCATE. UDEP 2018-2019