What are the speech times in British Parliamentary debate?

University BP (WUDC) uses 8 speeches of 7 minutes each, across 4 teams: Opening Government, Opening Opposition, Closing Government, and Closing Opposition. High school BP uses the same structure but with 5-minute speeches.

What is the POI window in British Parliamentary?

In university BP, the POI window is minutes 1 through 6 of each 7-minute speech — the first and last minute are protected. In high school BP with 5-minute speeches, the window is from 0:30 to 4:30, leaving 30 seconds protected at each end.

Is there prep time in British Parliamentary?

No. British Parliamentary has no in-round prep time. Teams prepare before the round, and speeches run back-to-back with no breaks for prep between them.

Does this work for WUDC or Worlds-level BP?

Yes. The BP University preset uses the standard 7-minute speech format used at WUDC and most university circuit competitions. DebateClock is not affiliated with or approved by WUDC — it is an independent timing tool.

Free · Uni & High School · POI window built in

British Parliamentary debate timer with POI window

Free BP timer covering both university (WUDC, 7-min) and high school (5-min) formats. Automatic POI window cue, two-device sync, no signup, no install.

Open timer — no signup See the speech order

Works on any phone, tablet, or laptop

Two BP formats, one timer

British Parliamentary splits into two common variants. Both use the same 4-team structure but differ on speech length and the exact POI window boundaries. DebateClock has both preloaded.

BP UNIVERSITY

WUDC / University Circuit

7-minute speeches across all 8 positions. POI window: minutes 1:00 through 6:00. First and last minute protected. Standard at WUDC and most national university competitions.

BP HIGH SCHOOL

High School Circuit

5-minute speeches. POI window: 0:30 through 4:30 — 30 seconds protected at both start and end. This variant is explicitly missing from most mobile debate timers.

Why judges use DebateClock for BP

BP judging requires tracking which of the 4 teams is speaking and whether the POI window is open — at the same time as flowing four simultaneous cases and tracking comparative rankings. The POI window cue on the debater display removes one thing the judge would otherwise have to manage manually.

The automatic cue appears on the debater's screen at the opening of the window and disappears at the close. The bell rings at each boundary. Neither the judge nor the speaker needs to look at their watch.

POI window cue

Amber signal appears on the debater display at window open, clears at window close. Bell at each boundary.

Both BP variants

Select university (7-min) or high school (5-min) from the format picker. Correct POI window loads automatically.

8 speeches, no prep

PM, LO, DPM, DLO, Member Gov, Member Opp, Govt Whip, Opp Whip — all preloaded. No in-round prep pool.

Two-device sync

Judge controls from a phone. Debater watches a full-screen countdown on a tablet or laptop.

British Parliamentary speech order

University (WUDC): 7-minute speeches, POI window 1:00–6:00. High school: 5-minute speeches, POI window 0:30–4:30. All 8 positions below apply to both variants.

#	Speech	Team	Uni (7-min)	HS (5-min)
01	Prime Minister	OG	7:00	5:00
02	Leader of Opposition	OO	7:00	5:00
03	Deputy Prime Minister	OG	7:00	5:00
04	Deputy Leader of Opp.	OO	7:00	5:00
05	Member for Government	CG	7:00	5:00
06	Member for Opposition	CO	7:00	5:00
07	Government Whip	CG	7:00	5:00
08	Opposition Whip	CO	7:00	5:00

Teams: OG = Opening Government · OO = Opening Opposition · CG = Closing Government · CO = Closing Opposition. No prep pool. Speeches run back-to-back.

Frequently asked questions

What are the speech times in British Parliamentary?

University BP (WUDC) uses 7-minute speeches. High school BP uses 5-minute speeches. Both formats have 8 speeches across 4 teams in the same order.

When is the POI window open in BP?

University BP: the window opens at 1:00 and closes at 6:00, leaving one minute protected at each end. High school BP: the window opens at 0:30 and closes at 4:30, leaving 30 seconds protected at each end.

Is there prep time in BP?

No. British Parliamentary has no in-round prep pool. Teams prepare before the round starts; there is no prep between speeches.

Which BP format should I use for WUDC?

Select "British Parliamentary (Uni / WUDC)" from the format picker. It uses 7-minute speeches and a POI window from 1:00 to 6:00, matching the standard used at WUDC and most university competitions.

Does the timer work for Canadian Parliamentary (CUSID)?

Canadian Parliamentary is very close to BP University — 7-minute speeches, same POI window structure. The BP University preset covers most CUSID rounds. Asian Parliamentary (also 7-min with similar POI rules) is on the roadmap.