Understanding BP Speaker Roles

Opening Team Roles

The Prime Minister has the most defined job in BP: they must clearly define the motion, set up the model or mechanism (if any), and deliver the first substantive argument. A PM who fails to define the motion clearly can derail the entire debate. The definition should be reasonable, not truistic (too easy to agree with) or squirreled (twisted to mean something the motion clearly does not intend).

The Leader of the Opposition must respond directly to the PM's case, present the opposition framing, and deliver at least one substantive counter-argument. The LO who ignores the PM's case and just runs their own material will lose engagement points.

The Deputy PM rebuilds the OG case after the LO's attacks, ideally with deeper analysis rather than mere repetition, and may introduce a second argument. The Deputy LO mirrors this on the opposition side — rebutting the DPM and extending OO's case.

Closing Team Roles

The Member for Government/Opposition delivers the 'extension' — a new argument or a substantially new angle that advances their side's position. This is the hardest strategic challenge in BP: the extension must be distinct enough to justify the closing team's existence, but consistent enough with the opening team that it doesn't contradict the side's overall position.

The Government Whip and Opposition Whip deliver the final speeches on each side. Whip speeches are primarily summative: they should provide a clear, biased summary of the debate from their side's perspective, highlight why their team's extension was the most important contribution, and crystallize the key clashes. A whip who introduces entirely new arguments is typically penalized — their job is to close, not open.