How to Win a BP Debate?

How to Win a BP Debate? Well, if we had a 100% guaranteed answer to that, we’d be rich! Luckily we do have some great strategies to win a BP debate, so even though there will always be debates where you don’t manage to win, you can still maximising your chances of winning BP debates by following a few simple principles. If you'd like a a quick refresher before we jump in, check out our previous blog on BP debate format & topics! Right, let’s take look at how to win a BP debate long before you actually get into the room to start debating!

Preparing to Win a BP Debate

Preparation is key in all forms of debate, but some people think that it is less important for winning BP debates because the topic is impromptu and not given out in advance. Not so! Here are four simple tips for how to win a BP debate long before you actually get to a British Parliamentary debate tournament.

Nail these top researched skills. The learningLeaders Research Institute spent months collecting data from hundreds of rounds of BP debates to find out which skills are most likely to give you the win! Check out the research here. Be sure to practice these top 4 skills to increase your chances of competitive success!

Follow the news. Be curious about the world and make it a habit to log onto news websites every day to keep up with current events. A large proportion of BP debate topics are based on news events, or require a decent understanding of current affairs to give them context. Your chances of winning a BP debate will be much higher if you understand why a particular topic has been set. It doesn’t mean you have to spend an hour a day reading a newspaper – just skim enough to know roughly what’s going on. You may doubt that this is how to win a BP Debate – until you win a debate that you normally would have lost.

Keep a debate notebook. Get hold of a physical notebook, or use a notes app on your laptop or phone, or even just a folder. How does this help you prepare to win a BP debate? Well, you can use it to record useful content in one place – articles and schoolwork that might help you to win a BP debate, or feedback from your last debate competition, or just stuff that caught your eye. This is how to win a BP debate long before you actually compete – making sure that your preparation is as effective as possible because you are collating and keeping all the content you need to win the debate.

Watch yourself debate. There is no point knowing how to win a BP debate if you aren’t putting those hints and tips into practice in your speeches. But how do you know if you’re actually implementing the BP debate feedback you get from judges and coaches? This is why recording yourself debating is one of the most crucial ways to win a British Parliamentary debate. Set up your webcam, or your phone, in your room. Give yourself a BP debate motion and 15 minutes to prepare, or watch a YouTube video and pause it after the BP debate speech you want to rebut. Take a minute to compose yourself, and then record your speech. Watching it back, you’ll gain valuable insights into how you come across to others in a BP bebate.

So there you have it, three ideas for how to win a BP debate – and the best part is, you can do all of these on your own long before going anywhere near a debate class or BP debate tournament. Good luck!

Chcek out our BP debate series here for upcoming competitive opportunities!