BP DEBATING: STRUCTURE
& ROLE FULFILMENT
Karolien Michiels
Speaker’s Development, Week 2
Today’s Topics
(1)
(2)
The format of British Parliamentary Debating
The basic format of any speech
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(3)
Exercise 1
The specific roles in BP debating
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Exercise 2
British Parliamentary debating
Speaking order:
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1PROP: Prime Minister
1OPP: Leader of the Opposition
1PROP: Deputy Prime Minister
1OPP: Deputy Leader Opposition
2PROP: Member of Government
2OPP: Member of Opposition
2PROP: Government Whip
2OPP: Opposition Whip
Exercise 1
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Groups of four
Put the descriptions of the roles in the right speaking
order
Specific Roles: 1PROP
Prime Minister:
 Explain the problem with the status-quo
 Explain what your solution is: the mechanism
 Explain why it is a good solution
Deputy Prime Minister:
 Further explain why it is a good proposal
 Explain why the arguments of 1OPP are not true/
not relevant/not important (enough)
If you read this
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This is an extra page that wasn’t present in the
training as given on Tuesday.
Let me know if you notice this page exists.
If you’re the first (current) member of the Society to
have noticed this page, I’ll give you a prize next
Tuesday.
Specific Roles: 1OPP
Leader and Deputy Leader of the Opposition:
 Explain why the model proposed by 1PROP will not
work
 Also explain why the proposal of 1PROP will bring
other/bigger/more important harms
 If you want, explain why you disagree with the way
1PROP sees the problem, and/or why it isn’t a (big)
problem
Specific Roles: 2 PROP
You are not allowed to ‘knife’ 1PROP!
Extension speaker:
 Explain that there is another, even more important
reason why we should do this motion
 Bring in new arguments or make the old ones better
(but add something!)
Summary speaker:
 ‘Summarize’ in really biased way. OPP is wrong
and your partner’s argument won the debate

Specific Roles: 2 OPP
Extension speaker:
 Give more reasons why PROP are wrong
 Engage with the extension
 Give bigger or more important harms than 1OPP
 Listen carefully; don’t rely on your prep too much
Summary speaker:
 ‘Summarize’ in really biased way. PROP is wrong
and your partner’s argument won the debate
Exercise 2: A Debate
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THW (=This House would) make drugs freely
available
Why would someone want to do that?
Why would someone oppose that?
What other consequences will there be?
Speeches & POIs
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5-minute speeches
1 minute protected time at beginning and end
3 minutes for Points of Information
Only take 1 POI
Only when you’re ready
15 seconds
THW provide drugs through the gov
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Why?
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They’re going to get it anyway
They would it through dealers
Stop crime – REDUCE CRIME
Control addiction: medical supervision – BETTER HEALTH
Consent
Stop funding drug cartels – REDUCE CRIME
Better drugs – CONSUMER RIGHTS
Tax it – FAIRER TAX SYSTEM
To raise insurance cost
Save the addicts money - GOAL
Because drugs provide a clear benefit – BETTER PARTIES
To control the people