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166-528: The Oxford Union Society , commonly referred to as the Oxford Union , is a debating society in the city of Oxford , England, whose membership is drawn primarily from the University of Oxford . Founded in 1823, it is one of Britain's oldest university unions and one of the world's most prestigious private students' societies. The Oxford Union exists independently from the university and is distinct from

332-568: A "Fathers and Sons" dinner at Claridge's for his birthday on 16 June 1932, with Lord Hailsham and his son Quintin Hogg , Lord Cranborne and Freddie Birkenhead , the son of Winston's late friend F. E. Smith . Also present were Admiral of the Fleet Earl Beatty and his son , and Oswald Mosley (then still seen as a coming man). That year Randolph flew into a rage with Lord Beaverbrook , when his Daily Express singled him out in

498-695: A Bar on the ground floor, the Gladstone Room (a reception room) and the Morris Room (a meeting room) on the first floor, and a Members' TV Room on the second (uppermost) floor, along with separate offices for the President, Librarian, Treasurer and Secretary. Many of the rooms in the Union are named after figures from the Union's past, such as the Goodman Library with its oriel windows and

664-399: A Beaverbrook/Rothermere journalist to promote his political career and to warn of the dangers of Hitler. In 1937 he tried in vain to get an invitation from Unity Mitford to meet Hitler. The diarist "Chips" Channon speculated (15 April) that if Winston Churchill were to return to office under the new Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain the outcome might be "an explosion of foolishness after

830-512: A Los Angeles jury of murdering his ex-wife Nicole Brown Simpson and her friend Ron Goldman in 1994. Speaking for 90 minutes in front of 1,300 students, Simpson spoke of racism in the Los Angeles Police Department , and said he was sorry for hitting his wife, Nicole. Paul Kenward had given O. J. Simpson assurances there would be no broadcast media at the union debate. However, Chris Philp , (now Conservative MP and then

996-612: A YouTube channel which has more than 1.8 million subscribers and has gained more than 250 million views across its videos. The Oxford Union's general conduct and management is governed by the Standing Committee. The voting members are: The non-voting members are: The Bursar, the Deputy Bursar and the Access Officers attend meetings of Standing Committee in an advisory capacity. Day-to-day management of

1162-604: A commission as a second lieutenant in the supplementary reserve, and was called up for active service on 24 August 1939. He was one of the oldest of the junior officers, and not popular with his peers. In order to win a bet, he walked the 106-mile round trip from their base in Hull to York and back in under 24 hours. He was followed by a car, both to witness the event and in case his blisters became too painful to walk further, and made it with around twenty minutes to spare. To his great annoyance, his brother officers did not pay up. On

1328-533: A debating club created by Edmund Burke in 1747, and The Phil , founded in 1683. The Society of Cogers was founded in London in 1755 and still operates today. Debating societies had emerged in London in the early 18th century, and soon became a prominent societal fixture of life in London. Although debating societies had existed in London since at least 1740, they were exclusive and secretive societies. However, by

1494-456: A fellow panelist, former CIA operative David Shedd . Oxford Union president Gui Cavalcanti replied that its agreement with Marsh and other panelists gave them the right but not the obligation to publish video of any events, adding that "just this academic year, we’ve had multiple events not uploaded, ranging from J. J. Abrams to Sir Patrick Stewart ." A transcript of the panel and its 22-minute audio are available online. In October 2019, before

1660-772: A few days and handed the seat on a platter to the Labour Party" as Foot later put it. In March 1935, again with financial backing from Lady Houston , he sponsored an Independent Conservative candidate, Richard Findlay, also a member of the British Union of Fascists , to stand in a by-election in Norwood . This attracted no backing from MPs or the press, and Findlay lost to the official Conservative candidate, Duncan Sandys , who in September that year became Randolph's brother-in-law, marrying his sister Diana . He had

1826-543: A free-standing debating chamber in the gardens, which opened in 1879. This was about a decade after the completion of the Cambridge Union's premises (also designed by Waterhouse), and the exteriors of the two buildings are very similar. The original Woodward debating chamber is now known as "The Old Library". The Old Library is best known for its Pre-Raphaelite paintings by Dante Gabriel Rossetti , Edward Burne-Jones and William Morris , referred to collectively as

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1992-728: A growing collection of books, and formalized relations with its sister society The Cambridge Union . In the early 1830s, the Union held its first debate on having confidence in HM Government, a tradition that is continued to this day. As the Society developed, it bought a plot of land by Frewin Court in central Oxford and commissioned Benjamin Woodward , who was then working on the University Museum, to design new buildings for

2158-485: A hundred-mile trip to demand that the teacher be dismissed, only to learn that the teacher had already been sacked. He remembered that he and Diana returned from ice-skating in Holland Park on 22 June 1922 to find the house guarded and being searched by "tough-looking men" following the assassination of Field Marshal Henry Wilson . Winston gave his son a choice of Eton College or Harrow School , and he chose

2324-419: A lack of security personnel, a number of students from the audience eventually came to take on the responsibilities of controlling events, in one instance preventing a scuffle from breaking out between a protester and members of the audience, and eventually assisting police in herding protesters from the main hall. One student protester interviewed by BBC News reported that fellow protesters played ' jingles ' on

2490-541: A large, hostile audience, adding that "he was by no means cowed". Randolph's good looks and self-confidence soon brought him some success as a womaniser, but his attempt to seduce one young woman at Blenheim failed after she spent the night in bed for protection with his cousin Anita Leslie , while Randolph sat on the side of the bed talking at length of "when I am prime minister". Randolph, who had been lucky not to be named in court as one of her lovers, also comforted

2656-424: A long-term mistress and several casual girlfriends at the time, had no idea yet that he was being cuckolded. He had recently been reduced to tears on being told to his face by a brother officer how deeply disliked he was, something of which he had previously had no idea. On 28 October 1941 he was promoted to the war-substantive rank of captain (acting rank of major ) and put in charge of Army information at GHQ. For

2822-478: A more continuous, inclusive, and less formalized process through which issues are explored and resolved across a range of agencies and among the general public . For example, the European Commission in 2021 published a Green Paper on Ageing , intended to generate such a debate on "policies to address the challenges and opportunities of ageing " in upcoming years. Pope Francis has also referred to

2988-628: A number of other institutions, together with those participating in some visiting study programmes in Oxford, are also eligible to apply for temporary membership. Guests staying at the Oxford Union Society/Landmark Trust flat in the Old Steward's House are deemed to be visiting members of the Society for the duration of their stay in the flat. Residential memberships are available to Oxford residents who are not from

3154-414: A one-on-one event that applies philosophical theories to real-world issues. The debaters normally alternate sides from round to round as either the "affirmative", which upholds the resolution, or the "negative", which attacks it. The resolution, which changes bimonthly, generally asks whether a certain policy or action conforms to a specific value. National Forensic Association Lincoln-Douglas debate (NFA-LD),

3320-402: A part of U.S. presidential campaigns. Unlike debates sponsored at the high school or collegiate level, the participants and format are not independently defined. Nevertheless, in a campaign season heavily dominated by television advertisements , talk radio , sound bites , and spin , they still offer a rare opportunity for citizens to see and hear the major candidates side by side. The format of

3486-482: A particular topic. "Public forum" debating combines aspects of both policy debate and Lincoln-Douglas debate but makes them easily understood by the general public by having shorter speech lengths, an absence of jargon, and longer questioning periods, called "cross-fires," where the debaters interact. This form of debate is also designed to address current affairs, with topics that change monthly and address both U.S. policy and international issues. This form of debate

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3652-625: A policy debate on European issues, as parts of two broad coalitions. Each team is composed of two speakers (the Prime Minister and the Foreign Secretary). The debate starts with the first speaker from France, followed by the first speaker of Germany (the opposite side), followed by the second speaker of France, and the second speaker of Germany. The debate continues with the first speaker of the United Kingdom, followed by

3818-480: A recurrent embarrassment to both his parents". In what would turn out to be his final report on leaving Eton, Robert Birley , one of his history teachers, wrote of his native intelligence and writing ability, but added that he found it too easy to get by on little work or with a journalist's knack of spinning a single idea into an essay. Randolph went up to Christ Church, Oxford , in January 1929, partway through

3984-566: A road accident during the journey home. After a stay in Cairo he was invalided back to England. Randolph had sent few letters to Pamela, and many to Laura Charteris, with whom he was in love and who was in the process of getting divorced. Evelyn Waugh recorded that Pamela "hates him so much that she can't sit in a room with him". By November 1942 Randolph had formally left her; his parents, who adored their baby grandson Winston, sympathised with Pamela. In November 1942 he visited Morocco to witness

4150-736: A row with his parents so violent that Clementine thought Winston might have a seizure. In April 1942 he volunteered for the newly formed SAS – to his mother's dismay, because of the strain on his father. She contemplated cabling him forbidding him to go, but knew that Winston would want him to. He joined the SAS CO David Stirling and six SAS men on a mission behind enemy lines in the Libyan Desert to Benghazi in May 1942. The Benghazi Raid did not reach its goals and Randolph severely dislocated his back when his truck overturned in

4316-403: A second-year student at University College and features editor of the student magazine Cherwell ), was fined £50 for selling a written transcript of the debate and helping to sell an audio cassette to TV stations. In November 2007, President Luke Tryl sparked controversy by inviting Holocaust denier David Irving and British National Party leader Nick Griffin to speak at a Union forum on

4482-679: A series of debates known as the Discourses on Salt and Iron , held in 81 BCE. Named by Emperor Zhao for its two most famous debates, those debates focused on the reformation of the economic policies implemented by Zhao's predecessor, Emperor Wu . Modern forms of debating and the establishment of debating societies in the Western world occurred during the Age of Enlightenment in the 18th century. Trinity College Dublin boasts two of Europe's oldest debating societies: The Hist in 1770, inspired by

4648-424: A sharply assigned motion that is proposed by one side and opposed by another. Oxford-style debates follow a formal structure that begins with audience members casting a pre-debate vote on the motion that is either for, against, or undecided. Each panelist presents a seven-minute opening statement, after which the moderator takes questions from the audience with inter-panel challenges. Finally, each panelist delivers

4814-537: A short time", war with Germany or even "a seat for Randolph". Churchill warned the House of Commons (19 July 1937) that there were twelve-inch Spanish howitzers trained on Gibraltar . Channon recorded that this reduced the House's sympathies for Franco , but that when the House learned that the source was "Master Randolph" (as he described him) MPs were merely amused. Virginia Cowles first met Randolph in New York in

4980-652: A six-week journey via the Cape of Good Hope and the East Coast of Africa, avoiding the Central Mediterranean where the Italian navy and Axis air forces were strong. Randolph, who was still earning £1,500 per annum as a Lord Beaverbrook journalist, lost £3,000 gambling on the voyage. Pamela had to go to Beaverbrook, who refused her an advance on Randolph's salary. Declining his offer of an outright gift (it

5146-488: A small car. Contrary to newspaper reports that she had crossed the Atlantic to put a stop to the wedding, she only learned of the engagement when she arrived. She found Randolph, to her horror, living in an extravagant suite of hotel rooms, but was able to write to Miss Halle's father, who agreed that it would be unwise for their children to marry. Clementine wrote to her husband of one of Randolph's lectures "Frankly, it

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5312-408: A story on the sons of great men, which sneered that "major fathers as a rule breed minor sons, so our little London peacocks had better tone down their fine feathers." "The function of the gossip writer", said Randolph, "is not among those which commend themselves mostly highly to my generation" (in middle age Randolph would himself become a highly paid London gossip columnist). Randolph reported from

5478-485: A successful career as a writer and journalist. In the 1960s, he wrote the first two volumes of the official life of his father. Randolph was married and divorced twice. His first wife was Pamela Digby (later Harriman) ; their son Winston later became a Conservative MP. Throughout his life, Randolph had a reputation for rude, drunken behaviour. By the 1960s, his health had collapsed from years of heavy drinking; he outlived his father by only three years. Randolph Churchill

5644-469: A tearful Tilly Losch in public at Quaglino's after her divorce in 1934, to the amusement of the other diners and the waiters. In the 1930s, Winston's overindulgence of his son was one of several causes of coolness between him and Clementine. Clementine several times threw him out of Chartwell after arguments; at one time Clementine told Randolph she hated him and never wanted to see him again. Randolph Churchill's political career (like that of his son)

5810-630: A tedious speech by a local cleric. At San Simeon (the mansion of press baron Randolph Hearst ) he lost his virginity to the Austrian-born actress Tilly Losch an erstwhile lover of his close friend Tom Mitford . Randolph was already drinking double brandies at the age of nineteen, to his parents' consternation. He did little work or sport at Oxford and spent most of his time at lengthy lunch and dinner parties with other well-connected undergraduates and with dons who enjoyed being entertained by them. Randolph later claimed that he had benefited from

5976-463: A time he edited a newspaper, Desert News , for the troops. He lived at Shepheard's Hotel . Anita Leslie, then in an ambulance company, wrote that "he could not cease trumpeting his opinions and older men could be seen turning purple with anger" and that he was "insufferable". On leave in January 1942, he criticised the Tories for exculpating Winston Churchill's decision to defend Greece and Crete. He

6142-493: A time to be escorted by plain clothes detectives on their walks in the park, because of threats by suffragettes to kidnap them. He was a page at the marriage of the Prime Minister 's daughter Violet Asquith to Maurice Bonham Carter on 1 December 1915. He recalled the Zeppelin raids of 1917 as "a great treat", as the children were taken from their beds in the middle of the night, wrapped in blankets, and "allowed" to join

6308-407: A two-minute closing argument, and the audience delivers their second (and final) vote for comparison against the first. A winner is then declared either by the majority or by which team has swayed more audience members between the two votes. In Paris debating, two teams of five debate a given motion. One team will attempt to defend the motion while the other team will attack the motion. The debate

6474-434: A violent row with his father about Norwood; Winston did not support him in any way this time, although he was suspected by other Conservatives of having done so. Duncan Sandys was the only one of Randolph's Conservative opponents to win; Randolph soon became jealous when Sandys joined the family and Churchill warmed to him. Having blamed Baldwin and the party organization for his loss, Randolph libelled Sir Thomas White. Over

6640-636: A winning strategy while respecting the coalition. This format was commonly developed by the Franco-British Comparative Project and Declan McCavanna, Chairman of the FDA and featured France, the UK, Germany, Russia and Italy. Impromptu debating is a relatively informal style of debating when compared to other highly structured formats of debate. The topic for the debate is given to the participants between fifteen and twenty minutes before

6806-529: A woman was deliberately burned on her hand with a cigarette by a thwarted lover, and Randolph sprang to her defence. Randolph also became embroiled in the controversy of the February 1933 King and Country debate at the Oxford Union Society . Three weeks after the Union had passed a pacifist motion, Randolph and his friend Lord Stanley proposed a resolution to delete the previous motion from

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6972-465: A young man who had the ability to antagonise so easily." At a dinner at Blenheim for Lady Sarah Spencer-Churchill 's 18th birthday in July 1939 a drunk Randolph had to be removed after behaving badly to a woman who spurned his advances and starting a row with another man over Winston's reputation. In August 1938, Randolph Churchill joined his father's old regiment, the 4th Queen's Own Hussars , receiving

7138-553: A £400 annual parental allowance. He left the US owing $ 2,000 to his father's friend, the financier Bernard Baruch ; a debt which he did not repay for thirty years. In October 1931 Randolph began a lecture tour of the UK. He lost £600 by betting wrongly on the results of the general election ; his father paid his debts on condition he gave up his chauffeur-driven Bentley , a more extravagant car than his father drove. In 1931 he shared Edward James 's house in London with John Betjeman . By

7304-626: Is also home to a grand piano, known as the "Bartlet-Jones Piano" after the Oxford University Music Society president who found it dusty and forgotten in a cupboard in the Holywell Music Room and placed it on permanent loan to the Union. The piano was unveiled by Vladimir Ashkenazy who famously refused to play it in front of the packed chamber because he "had not warmed up". The despatch boxes which continue to be used in Union debates are modelled on those in

7470-521: Is brave and Randolph has youth  And is boldly determined to tell the truth   Pitt was premier at twenty three  So why not he? The poem was widely disseminated in the press – but without the unflattering references to 'Socialist Mac[Donald],' who at the time was still Prime Minister of the Conservative-dominated National Government. His involvement was criticised by his father for splitting

7636-556: Is composed of two teams of two that will advocate for and against a resolution (typically a proposed policy for the United States federal government or an international organization). Affirmative teams generally present a proposal to implement a specific modified form of the resolution called a plan. The negative will either try to disprove or undermine this plan or display that the opportunity costs of their opponent's plan are so great that it should not be implemented. Policy Debate

7802-508: Is conducted under rules originally derived from British parliamentary procedure , though parliamentary debate now has several variations, including American, Brazilian, British, Canadian, and German forms. It features the competition of individuals in a multi-person setting. It borrows terms such as "government" and "opposition" from the British parliament (although the term "proposition" is sometimes used rather than "government" when debating in

7968-649: Is judged on the quality of the arguments, the strength of the rhetoric, the charisma of the speaker, the quality of the humor, the ability to think on one's feet, and teamwork. Despite this format being specifically used in France debates are commonly held in English. The first speaker of the Proposition (Prime Minister) opens the debate, followed by the first speaker of the Opposition (Shadow Prime Minister), then

8134-466: Is not the only modern country to use a parliamentary system. Countries today that use a parliamentary system and parliamentary debate include Canada , Italy , Japan , Latvia , the Netherlands , and New Zealand . Participatory Democracy is a form of government in which citizens participate individually and directly in political decisions, which may be achieved through public debate. In France,

8300-498: Is now home to over 60,000 volumes. A further period of building began in the early 1900s when an extension was built between the Steward's House and the main premises of the Society. The Oxford Union is an unincorporated association ; its property is held in trust in favour of its objectives and members, and governed by its rules (which form a multipartite contract between the members). Its members are almost exclusively drawn from

8466-459: Is often called spreading and is also prevalent in policy debates. The Mace debating style is prominent in Britain and Ireland at the school level and is composed of two teams of two people, debating a motion, which one team will propose, and the other will oppose. Each speaker will make a seven-minute speech in the order; 1st Proposition, 1st Opposition, 2nd Proposition, 2nd Opposition. After

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8632-548: Is often known as forensics or speech and debate . Many countries often also hold tournaments in competitive debates between different schools. The Australasian style of debate consists of two teams of three people, debating a topic. The topic is presented in the form of an affirmative statement beginning with "That" or "This House", for example, "That cats are better than dogs", or "This House should raise taxes". Most topics are usually specific to local Australian regions to facilitate participant and audience interest. Each of

8798-534: Is primarily found within the United States. The core basis of this type of debate is that anyone is eligible to become a judge for the debate, unlike the Policy debate or Lincoln-Douglas debate, which requires more experience in debate to judge. This is a traditional Buddhist form of debating that was influenced by earlier Indian forms. Largely developed in Tibet, this style includes two individuals, one functioning as

8964-417: Is sometimes also referred to as cross-examination debate (shortened to CX) because of the 3-minute questioning periods following each constructive speech. Public debate may mean simply debating by the public, or in public. The term is also used for a particular formal style of debate in a competitive or educational context. Two teams of two compete through six rounds of argument, giving persuasive speeches on

9130-469: Is the largest schools' competition in the world, with over one thousand teams entering each year. There are chamber debates every Thursday evening during University terms. Experts for the proposition and opposition present paper speeches to the house. Members have an opportunity to deliver brief speeches from the floor. Following the style of the British Parliament, a motion is moved to "divide

9296-514: Is unclear whether submitting to his sexual advances was a condition), she sold her wedding presents, including jewellery; took a job in Beaverbrook's ministry, arranging accommodation for workers being redeployed around the country; sublet her home and moved into a cheap room on the top floor of The Dorchester (very risky during the Blitz ). By accepting hospitality from others most evenings she

9462-459: Is usually highest compared to other parts of Asia. Randolph Churchill Major Randolph Frederick Edward Spencer Churchill MBE (28 May 1911 – 6 June 1968) was an English journalist, writer and politician. The only son of future British Prime Minister Winston Churchill and his wife, Clementine , Randolph was brought up to regard himself as his father's political heir, although their relations became strained in later years. In

9628-509: The Saturday Review . In an attempt to encourage Randolph, Lady Houston sent him a poem:  When the truth is told at Wavertree  Wavertree will set India free  And Socialist Mac will be up a tree  With all his lies and hypocrisy  Your Indian kinsfolk from over the sea  Are crying to thee  To save them from horrors you cannot see  Gallant Randolph can set them free  For Randolph

9794-698: The American landings . Randolph encouraged the conversion of Vichy fighters to de Gaulle 's army, submitting reports to Parliament on 23 February 1943. In May 1943 Randolph visited his father in Algiers , where he was celebrating the successful conclusion of the Tunisian Campaign . Randolph, along with his sister Sarah, accompanied his father to the Tehran Conference in November 1943. On

9960-574: The German elections in July 1932 . Randolph encouraged his father to try to meet Adolf Hitler in summer 1932 whilst he was retracing the Duke of Marlborough 's march to Blenheim (Winston was writing the Duke's life at the time); the meeting fell through at the last minute as Hitler excused himself. Randolph had an affair with Doris Castlerosse in 1932, causing a near fight with her husband. She later claimed to have had an affair with his father Winston in

10126-529: The House of Commons and were offered to the House during World War II . As recently as the 1970s the Oxford Union still provided a full silver service dining room for its members which, like its famous bar, was the afternoon and evening venue of choice for many of the university's leading undergraduate journalists and politicos. To be invited to dine at the large table in the bay window - the usual domain of

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10292-613: The Oxford Union , the Yale Political Union , and the Conférence Olivaint . In parliaments and other legislatures , members debate proposals regarding legislation before voting on resolutions, which become laws . Debates are usually conducted by proposing a law, or changes to a law known as amendments . Parliamentary-style debates are structured with two opposing sides, the Leader of Opposition (LO) and

10458-533: The Oxford Union murals . The current debating chamber and several further extensions to the main buildings were added over the next forty years. The final extension was designed in a conventional Gothic Revival style by Walter Mills and Thorpe, and built in 1910–11. It provides the Macmillan Room (the Union dining room) and Snooker Room on the first floor above the Goodman Library, underneath which there are basement library stacks. The Union also consists of

10624-490: The Oxford University Student Union . The Oxford Union has a tradition of hosting some of the world's most prominent individuals across politics, academia, and popular culture ranging from Albert Einstein and Michael Jackson to Sir Winston Churchill , Ronald Reagan , Queen Elizabeth II and Mahathir Mohamad . Many former Presidents of the Union have gone on to hold high office in the UK and

10790-784: The Paraguayan Military School ; this report was published in the Daily Express on Thursday, 11 August 1932, when the R.I. 6 was in full preparation to depart or at the war front in the Chaco . Arturo Bray was highly requested by the British Press, as the English knew that Bray was a British officer, hero of World War I, awarded with the highest medals of bravery bestowed by Britain and France. At Lady Diana Cooper 's fortieth birthday party in Venice that year

10956-650: The audience will put questions to the candidate, which they will have to answer. In the Turncoat format, the emphasis is on transitions, the strength of argument , and the balancing of opinions. United Asian Debating Championship is the biggest university debating tournament in Asia, where teams from the Middle East to Japan come to debate. It is traditionally hosted in Southeast Asia, where participation

11122-407: The future United States of America was home to several short-lived student debating societies throughout the mid-1700s. The American Whig Society at the university was co-founded in 1765 by future revolutionary James Madison . The Dialectic and Philanthropic Societies were formed at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 1795 and are still active. They are considered the first of

11288-469: The general strike of 1926 he fixed up a secret radio set as his housemaster would not allow him to have one. In November 1926 his headmaster wrote to his father to inform him that he had caned Randolph, then aged 15, after all five of the masters then teaching him had independently reported him for "either being idle or being a bore with his chatter". As a teenager Randolph fell in love with Diana Mitford , sister of his friend Tom Mitford . Tom Mitford

11454-426: The "need for forthright and honest debate" on society and the environment in his 2015 encyclical letter Laudato si' . Debating in various forms has a long history that can be traced back to the philosophical and political debates of Ancient Greece , such as Athenian Democracy or the Shastrartha in Ancient India . In Imperial China 's Han Dynasty , debate amongst scholars was most famously portrayed in

11620-458: The 1930s, he stood unsuccessfully for Parliament a number of times, causing his father embarrassment. He was elected as Conservative Member of Parliament (MP) for Preston at the 1940 Preston by-election . During the Second World War, he served with the SAS in North Africa and with Tito 's partisans in Yugoslavia . Randolph lost his seat in 1945 and was never re-elected to Parliament. Despite his lack of success in politics, Randolph enjoyed

11786-399: The Australasia style of debate is used varies, but in Australia and New Zealand, it is mostly used at the Primary and Secondary school level. European square debating has a Paris-style inspired format with four teams. France, the United Kingdom, and Germany are always represented, in addition to one other major European nation (for example, Russia). These "Nations" then confront each other in

11952-615: The Challenger (questioner) and the other as the Defender (answerer). The debaters must depend on their memorization of the points of doctrine, definitions, illustrations, and even whole text, together with their measure of understanding gained from instruction and study. Characteristics that uniquely define the Tibetan Buddhist style of debating are ceremonial recitation and symbolic movements and hand gestures by debaters. At

12118-605: The Commonwealth including William Gladstone , Ted Heath , Boris Johnson , and Benazir Bhutto . The Oxford Union was founded as the United Debating Society, an independent forum for unrestricted debate by junior members of Oxford University in 1823. At the time, the University prohibited junior members from discussing certain issues, such as matters of theology. Although restrictions of speech within

12284-803: The Forum, Spring Gardens, the Casino, the Mitre Tavern, and other polite places of debating rendezvous , we hear that new Schools of Eloquence are preparing to be opened in St. Giles, Clare-Market, Hockley in the Hole, Whitechapel, Rag-Fair, Duke's Place, Billingsgate, and the Back of the Borough. In 1780, 35 distinct societies advertised and hosted debates accommodating between 650 and 1200 individuals. The topic for debate

12450-515: The Government (GOV). After each side is allowed to speak once, members are permitted to give reply speeches to the opposing side's points. Afterward, members of the parliament discuss the proposal before casting their votes for or against such a law. The first example of parliamentary debate took place in Liverpool in 1882. Although Britain invented the system of parliamentary debate, it

12616-500: The House" in order to vote. Members in the chamber vote on the proposition with their feet by exiting the hall through a door designed to model the voting lobbies of the House of Commons , the right-hand side being marked 'ayes' and the left-hand side 'noes'. Oxford Union Society debates are filmed and licensed by Oxford Union Limited, a registered company controlled by the Oxford Union Society. Oxford Union Limited runs

12782-834: The Oxford Union regularly fields successful teams at the World Universities Debating Championship (which the Union hosted in 1993) and the European Universities Debating Championship. The Union also runs the Oxford Schools' Debating Competition and the Oxford Intervarsity Debating Competition, each of which attracts schools and universities from around the world, as well as running a number of internal debating competitions. Oxford Schools' Debating Competition

12948-638: The Roman Empire . Despite this, she became pregnant by the spring of 1940. In May 1940, Randolph's father, to whom he remained close both politically and socially, became prime minister, just as the Battle of France was beginning. In the summer of 1940, Winston Churchill's secretary, Jock Colville , wrote ( Fringes of Power p. 207) "I thought Randolph one of the most objectionable people I had ever met: noisy, self-assertive, whining and frankly unpleasant. He did not strike me as intelligent. At dinner he

13114-412: The Society's use. These initial buildings opened in 1857, included the original debating chamber. By the 1870s, the Society had grown too large for the chamber and commissioned a new chamber by Alfred Waterhouse . Finished in 1878 and opened the following year, the Union's new Debating Chamber was the largest purpose-built debating chamber in the world. The original chamber became the Society's library and

13280-583: The Speaker decides, at the next sitting within normal hours. The Speaker also determines when any other regular business, superseded by the emergency debate, is considered or discarded. In jurisdictions that elect holders of high political office, such as the President or Prime Minister , candidates sometimes debate in public, usually during a general election campaign. Since the 1976 general election , debates between presidential candidates have been

13446-577: The Telegraph that 'University should be an environment where debate is supported, not stifled. We mustn’t allow a small but vocal few to shut down discussion. Kathleen Stock's invitation to the Oxford Union should stand'. Over a hundred protestors gathered outside the buildings on the day. The event went ahead, but shortly after it started, a protestor glued themselves to the floor of the union's debating chamber before subsequently being removed by police. Debate The term "debate" may also apply to

13612-399: The US in a vain attempt to dissuade her from marrying the much older comedian Vic Oliver . Lady Houston had backed Randolph's three attempts to stand for Parliament. He was better backed financially than his father had ever been. This support came to a halt when she died late in 1936. Freddie Birkenhead remarked that he was "unbowed but bloody as usual". Thereafter he used his employment as

13778-614: The Union is partly conducted by professional staff, principally the Bursar, the Deputy Bursar and the House Manager. Elections are held to fill the offices of President-elect, Librarian-elect, Treasurer-elect and Secretary, as well as 6 positions on the Standing Committee and 11 positions on the Secretary's Committee. In order to stand for election to the Secretary's Committee, members must make two speeches on different nights during

13944-455: The Union's president - was considered the acme of attainment in that particular sphere of the university. It was often said more plots were hatched around that particular table on a regular evening than in the Houses of Parliament on Bonfire Night . Similarly, the Union's two libraries were extensively used by that same cadre of undergraduates (principally humanities students) who were rushing at

14110-424: The Union's records. After a poor speech from Stanley, the president , Frank Hardie, temporarily handed over the chair to the librarian and opposed the motion on behalf of the Union, a very unusual move. The minutes record that he received "a very remarkable ovation". Randolph was then met by a barrage of hisses and stink bombs. His speech, facing what the minutes describe as a "very antipathetic and even angry house"

14276-479: The United Kingdom). Parliamentary debate is practiced worldwide and many international variations have been created. The premier event in the world of parliamentary debate is the World Universities Debating Championship . This tournament is conducted in the traditional British Parliamentary style of debate. Policy debate is a fast-paced form of debate mostly commonly practiced in the U.S. Policy debate

14442-578: The University have since been lifted, the Oxford Union has remained separate from and independent of the university and is constitutionally bound to remain so. The first meeting of the Society was held illegally in a room in Peckwater Quad at Christ Church . The first recorded debate was about Parliamentarianism vs Royalism during the English Civil War . By the late 1820s, the Oxford Union was established enough to have regular elections,

14608-485: The University of Oxford with some provision for members who are resident in Oxford or attend Oxford Brookes University. Until 1963, women were excluded from membership of the Oxford Union. The admission of women to the Union required a 2/3 vote of its past and current members. The first vote to admit women failed, with 903 men voting to admit women and 459 voting against. The second vote, on 9 February 1963, succeeded, 1,039 to 427. Oxford student Judith Okely , who had led

14774-418: The University's AfriSoc society on Azmati's behalf, and soon gained national news media coverage. This was eventually followed by the resignation of standing committee members and other Union officials, and then by Union president Brendan McGrath on 19 November. Azmati was compensated an undisclosed amount. In April 2023, the union invited the gender-critical feminist philosopher Kathleen Stock . The invitation

14940-563: The Younger . His sister later wrote that he "manifestly needed a father's hand" but his father "spoiled and indulged him", and did not take seriously the complaints of his schoolmasters. He was influenced by his godfather Lord Birkenhead ( F. E. Smith ), an opinionated and heavy-drinking man. Winston Churchill was Chancellor of the Exchequer from late 1924 until 1929. Busy in that office, he neglected his daughters in favour of Randolph, who

15106-611: The academic year and not yet eighteen, after his father's friend Professor Lindemann had advised that a place had fallen vacant. In May he spoke for his father at the May 1929 general election . Between August and October 1929 Randolph and his uncle accompanied his father (now out of office) on his lecture tour of the US and Canada. His diary of the trip was later included in Twenty-One Years . On one occasion he impressed his father by delivering an impromptu five-minute reply to

15272-410: The annual 'No Confidence' debate, blind Ghanaian graduate student Ebenezer Azamati was violently removed from the hall for refusing to relinquish his seat, which had been reserved for a committee member. Azmati later had his membership revoked for two terms for 'violent misconduct'. Footage of the event was recorded by another member, and was subsequently uploaded to the internet. This led to protests from

15438-407: The bar or journalism and was "far more advanced than I was at his age". His mother replied that "He is certainly going to be an interest, an anxiety & an excitement in our lives". He had cool relations with his mother from an early age, in part because she felt him to be spoiled and arrogant as a result of his father's overindulgence. Clementine's biographer writes that "Randolph was for decades

15604-657: The buildings would not be lost. OLDUT's principal sources of funds are private donations and grant funding (including from the Mitsubishi UFJ Trust Oxford Foundation), rent on investment property and hiring fees. OLDUT uses these funds to provide financial support for the refurbishment and maintenance of the Union buildings and the operation of the Union's library and reading-rooms. The original Union buildings were designed by Benjamin Woodward and opened in 1857. The society soon outgrew these premises and commissioned Alfred Waterhouse to design

15770-422: The campaign to admit women, then became the first woman member. Geraldine Jones of St Hugh's College was in 1967 the first woman to be elected President of the Oxford Union. The Oxford Union has long associated itself with freedom of speech , most famously by debating and passing the motion " That this House would under no circumstances fight for its King and country " in 1933. The debate polarized opinion across

15936-481: The collegiate Lincoln-Douglas debate, uses one resolution per academic year, and is a one-on-one form of policy debate. Though established as an alternative to policy debate, there has been a strong movement to embrace certain techniques that originated in policy debate. Traditional LD debate attempts to be free of policy debate "jargon". Lincoln-Douglas speeches can range in speed from a conversational pace to well over 300 words per minute. This technique of fast-talking

16102-471: The country, with the Daily Telegraph running an article headlined "DISLOYALTY AT OXFORD: GESTURE TOWARDS THE REDS". Several prominent union members (including Randolph Churchill ) tried to expunge this motion and the result of the debate from the union's minute book. This attempt was defeated in a meeting more attended than the original debate. Sir Edward Heath records in his memoirs that Churchill

16268-441: The criterion for membership is being a fully matriculated member of the University of Oxford or a member of one of the Union's "kindred societies", namely: All those eligible for life membership can instead apply for long-term membership for a period of at least the duration of their course. Shorter membership is also extended to staff members of the University of Oxford or of any of its colleges or permanent private halls. Members of

16434-501: The debate starts. The debate format is relatively simple; each team member of each side speaks for five minutes, alternating sides. A ten-minute discussion period, similar to other formats' "open cross-examination" time follows, and then a five-minute break (comparable to other formats' preparation time). Following the break, each team gives a 4-minute rebuttal. Impromptu debate is often considered to be more akin to Public Speaking since speeches can be anywhere between stand-up routines, to

16600-638: The debates, the League of Women Voters stated that it was withdrawing "because the demands of the two campaign organizations would perpetrate a fraud on the American voter." In 2004, the Citizens' Debate Commission was formed in the hope of establishing an independent sponsor for presidential debates, with a more voter-centric role in the definition of the participants, format, and rules. In competitive debates , teams compete against each other and are judged

16766-608: The decision to proceed with the debate, saying that providing Irving and Griffin with a platform for their extreme views afforded them undue legitimacy. Following the event, some, including Oxford MP Evan Harris , criticised the No Platform Policy adopted by the Student Union. In February 2015, the Union invited Marine Le Pen , the leader of the Front National in France, to address the Union, in view of

16932-619: The early 1930s Randolph was working as a journalist for the Rothermere press. He wrote in an article in 1932 that he planned to "make an immense fortune and become Prime Minister" He warned that the Nazis meant war as early as March 1932 in his Daily Graphic column; his son Winston later claimed that he was the first British journalist to warn about Hitler. In 1932 Winston Churchill had Philip Laszlo paint an idealised portrait of his son for his 21st birthday. Winston Churchill organised

17098-457: The early 1930s. He helped her to get a visa to report from the USSR in February 1939. She praised his courage but wrote that "going out with him was like going out with a time bomb. Wherever he went an explosion seemed to follow. With a natural and brilliant gift of oratory, and a disregard for the opinions of his elders, he often held dinner parties pinned in a helpless and angry silence. I never knew

17264-428: The end of Molly Mantle's term. It remains an ongoing point of discussion within the Society. Students running for election usually stand as part of a team, known as slates , enabling voters to support a designated candidate for each position and increase each candidate's vote count. In May 1996 President Paul Kenward invited O. J. Simpson to address the union, his first public address since his October acquittal by

17430-430: The end of their statement, the Challenger punctuates by loudly clapping together their hands and simultaneously stomping their left foot. They then stylistically drawback their right hand slowly with the palm held upward and, at the same time, hold forth their left hand with the palm turned downward. Holding forth the left hand after clapping symbolizes closing the door to rebirth in samsara . The drawing back and raising of

17596-427: The experience, but at the time his lifestyle earned him a magisterial letter of rebuke from his father (29 December 1929), warning him that he was "not acquiring any habits of industry or concentration" and that he would withdraw him from Oxford if he did not knuckle down to study. Winston Churchill had also received a similar and oft-quoted letter of rebuke from his own father, Lord Randolph Churchill , at almost exactly

17762-500: The first minute of each speech, members of the opposing team may request a ' point of information ' (POI). If the speaker accepts, they are permitted to ask a question. POIs are used to attack a speaker on a weak point or to argue against something the speaker said. After all four debaters have spoken, the debate will be opened to the floor , in which members of the audience will question the teams. Finally, one speaker from each team will speak for 4 minutes. In these summary speeches,

17928-493: The first speaker of Russia, and it goes on with the respective second speakers. Each debater speaks for 5 minutes. The first and the last minutes are protected time: no Points of Information may be asked. During the rest of the speech, the speaker may be interrupted by Points of Information (POIs) from the opposite countries (debaters from France and the UK may ask POIs from debaters representing Germany and Russia, and vice versa, respectively). The format forces each debater to develop

18094-504: The first year of marriage, Randolph had no home of his own until Brendan Bracken found them a vicarage at Ickleford , near Hitchin , Hertfordshire . Pamela often had to ask Winston to pay Randolph's gambling debts. It was widely suspected, including by Randolph himself, that secret orders had been given that the 4th Hussars were not to be sent into action (they were, as soon as Randolph transferred out). Randolph transferred to No. 8 (Guards) Commando . In February 1941 they were sent out,

18260-514: The former. Randolph later wrote "I was lazy and unsuccessful both at work and at games ... and was an unpopular boy". He was once said to have been given "six up" (i.e. a beating) by his house's Captain of Games (a senior boy) for being "bloody awful all round". Michael Foot later wrote that this was "the kind of comprehensive verdict which others who had dealings with him were always searching for." He once wrote apologising to his father for "having done so badly and disappointed you so much". During

18426-527: The grown-ups in the cellar; he also recalled the Armistice celebrations at Blenheim Palace . He went to Sandroyd School in Wiltshire , and later admitted that he had had a problem with authority and discipline. His headmaster reported to his father that he was "very combative". Winston, who had been neglected by his parents as a small boy, visited his son at prep school as often as possible. Randolph

18592-636: The last eight meetings of the Consultative Committee may either stand for election as Chair or vote. The number of elected positions on Standing Committee was increased from 5 to 7 in Michael Li's term (Trinity 2017) and implemented in Chris Zabilowicz's term (Michaelmas 2017). However, the number of elected positions was decreased back to 5 officers at the end of James Price's term (Hilary 2021) before being increased to six at

18758-557: The last minute to complete the obligatory weekly essay for their formal university education. The Union's buildings were used as a location for each of the films Oxford Blues (1984) and The Madness of King George (1994). Debating at the Oxford Union takes two forms: competitive debating and chamber debating. Competitive debating offers members of the Union debate workshops and a platform upon which to practise and improve their debating skills. The Union's best debaters compete internationally against other top debating societies , and

18924-685: The membership. Amongst the earliest individual addresses made to the Union were speeches given by Lord Randolph Churchill at the start of the 20th Century and Millicent Fawcett who became the first woman to address the Oxford Union in 1908. Since then notable speakers to have addressed the members of the Oxford Union include: Membership of the Oxford Union falls into four classes: life membership, long-term membership, temporary membership, and residential membership. Temporary membership can take four forms: course-length membership, termly membership, visiting membership, and (confusingly) permanent membership. The overwhelming majority of members are life members;

19090-416: The mid-18th century, London fostered a vibrant debating society culture, largely due to increased membership from London's growing middle class. The topics debated covered a broad spectrum, and debating societies allowed participants from all genders and social backgrounds, making them an example of the enlarged public sphere of the Age of Enlightenment . Debating societies were a phenomenon associated with

19256-592: The mid-1930s, although Winston's biographer Andrew Roberts believes the latter claim unlikely to be true. Randolph, then aged just 21, was sent to Paraguay in August 1932 by Beaverbrook's Daily Express . Just after his arrival in Asunción , he conducted an interview with Major Arturo Bray Riquelme, Director of the Military School and Commander of the R.I. 6 "Boquerón", formed from the officers and cadets of

19422-424: The motion "This House Believes Nuclear Weapons are Morally Indefensible." Lange was invited to the debate by New Zealander Jeya Wilson , who was later elected president of the union. The Union puts on a wide variety of events for its members but is best known for its Thursday night debates and individual speaker events. In both of these, leading figures from public life are invited to discuss something of interest to

19588-504: The official Conservative vote and letting in a winning Labour candidate, although Winston appeared to support Randolph on the hustings. Michael Foot was an eyewitness at Wavertree, where he blamed Baldwin's India policy for hurting the Lancashire cotton trade. When he asked rhetorically, "And who is responsible for putting Liverpool where she is today?" a heckler shouted, " Blackburn Rovers !". "He collected 10,000 Independent votes in

19754-474: The opening of a debate, the standing Challenger claps his hands together and invokes Manjushri , who is the manifestation of the wisdom of all the Buddhas and, as such, is the special deity of debate. When the Challenger first puts their question to the sitting Defender, their right hand is held above the shoulder at the level of their head, and the left hand is stretched forward with the palm turned upward. At

19920-465: The original debate had attained). Randolph had persuaded a number of other former students, life members of the Union, to attend in the hope of carrying his motion. A bodyguard of Oxford Conservatives and police escorted Churchill back to his hotel after the debate. Sir Edward Heath recorded in his memoirs that after the debate some of the undergraduates had been intent on debagging him. Winston Churchill wrote praising his son's courage in addressing

20086-606: The outbreak of war, Randolph's father was appointed First Lord of the Admiralty . He sent Captain Lord Louis Mountbatten , along with Lieutenant Randolph Churchill, aboard HMS  Kelly (which was based at Plymouth at the time) to Cherbourg to bring the Duke and Duchess of Windsor back to England from their exile. Randolph was on board the destroyer untidily attired in his 4th Hussars uniform; he had attached

20252-496: The piano and danced on the President's chair though the truth of the latter assertion was seriously questioned by eyewitnesses. Smaller debates were eventually held with Irving and Griffin in separate rooms, amid criticism that the police and Union officials had not foreseen the degree of unrest which the controversial invitations would arouse. The President of Oxford University Student Union , Martin McCluskey, strongly criticised

20418-576: The popularity of the FN in the French polls at the time. This sparked considerable controversy, with allegations of Le Pen endorsing anti-Semitism and Islamophobia. The speech went ahead as planned, albeit delayed by the protesters blockading the Union's main entrance, and briefly breaking into the building. In all, over 400 people turned up to the demonstration. There was considerable controversy over OUSU's response, with allegations that OUSU had indirectly supported

20584-684: The post-revolutionary debating societies. The first student debating society in Great Britain was the St Andrews Debating Society , formed in 1794 as the Literary Society . The Cambridge Union Society was founded in 1815 and claims to be the oldest continually operating debating society in the World. Over the next few decades, similar debate societies emerged at several other prominent universities, including

20750-452: The premises. Around 20 protesters succeeded in breaching the poorly maintained security cordon and attempted to force their way through to the main chamber. Members of the waiting audience blocked access by pushing back against the chamber doors. After students were convinced to yield to the protesters by Union staff, a sit-in protest was staged in the debating chamber, preventing a full debate from occurring due to security concerns. Because of

20916-530: The presidential debates, though defined differently in every election, is typically more restrictive than many traditional formats, forbidding participants to ask each other questions and restricting discussion of particular topics to short time frames. The presidential debates were initially moderated in 1976 , 1980 , and 1984 by the League of Women Voters , and the Commission on Presidential Debates (CPD)

21082-547: The print industry to advertise the events of his Oratory, establishing it as a ubiquitous part of the London public sphere. Henley also played a crucial role in shaping the space of the debating club; he introduced two platforms to his room in the Newport district of London for the staging of debates and organized the entrances to facilitate the collection of admission fees. These modifications were further carried out when Henley relocated his enterprise to Lincoln's Inn Fields . With

21248-564: The procedure for public debate was defined in the Law of February 2, 1995 relating to the re-enforcement of the protection of the environment (commonly known as the Barnier Law, after the then minister for the environment). In some countries (e.g., Canada and the UK ), members of parliament may request debates on urgent matters of national importance. According to Standing Order rules, an emergency debate may take precedence on Friday, or if

21414-405: The protesters and not adequately condemned threats of violence against Union members who had attempted to attend the talk. In 2018, human rights activist Heather Marsh accused the Oxford Union of censorship and violating a contractual obligation when they failed to post video of a "Whistleblowing" panel in which she appeared to the official Oxford Union YouTube channel, allegedly at the request of

21580-449: The public now willing to pay for entertainment, Henley capitalized on the growing commercialization of British society. By the 1770s, debating societies had become a firmly established part of London society. The year 1785 was pivotal: The Morning Chronicle announced on March 26: The Rage for public debate now shows itself in all quarters of the metropolis. Exclusive of the oratorical assemblies at Carlisle House, Freemasons Hall,

21746-399: The reputations of nations, depending on the topic given to the contestants. Contestants will be given a list of abstract topics when the event begins and will create a speech on their chosen topic. Lincoln-Douglas debating is primarily a form of United States high school debate (though there is a collegiate Lincoln-Douglas debate) and is named after the 1858 Lincoln-Douglas debates . It is

21912-423: The right hand symbolizes one's will to raise all sentient beings out of samsara, and cyclic existence, and to establish them in the omniscience of Buddhahood. The left hand represents " Wisdom " – the "antidote" to cyclic existence, and the right hand represents "Method" – the altruistic intention to become enlightened for the benefit of all. The clap represents a union of Method and Wisdom. In this debating style,

22078-539: The same age. Randolph dropped out of Oxford in October 1930 to conduct a lecture tour of the US. He was already in debt; his mother guessed correctly that he would never finish his degree. Contrary to his later claims, his father attempted to dissuade him at the time. Unlike his father, who had become a powerful orator through much practice, and whose speeches always required extensive preparation, public speaking came easily to Randolph. His son later recorded that this

22244-406: The same speaker shifts allegiance between "For" and "Against" the motion. It is a solo contest, unlike other debating forms. Here, the speaker is required to speak for 2 minutes "For the motion", two minutes "Against the motion", and finally draw up a 1-minute conclusion in which the speaker balances the debate. At the end of the fifth minute, the debate will be opened to the house, in which members of

22410-430: The second speaker of the Proposition, and so on. Every speaker speaks for 6 minutes. After the first minute and before the last minute, debaters from the opposite team may ask for Points of Information, which the speaker may accept or reject as he wishes (although they are supposed to accept at least two). The French Debating Association organizes its National Debating Championship in this style. Parliamentary debate

22576-406: The simultaneous rise of the public sphere . A sphere of discussion, separate from traditional authorities and accessible to all people, acted as a platform for criticism and the development of new ideas and philosophy. John Henley , a clergyman, founded an Oratory in 1726 with the principal aim of "reforming the manner in which public presentations should be performed". He extensively utilized

22742-681: The six speakers (three affirmative and three negative) speak in succession to each other, beginning with the Affirmative Team. The speaking order is as follows: First Affirmative, First Negative, Second Affirmative, Second Negative, Third Affirmative, and finally Third Negative. The debate is finished with a closing argument by the last speaker from each team. "Points of Information" (an interrupting question or statement), more commonly known as "POIs", are used in Australian and New Zealand Secondary School level debating. The context in which

22908-400: The speaker will answer the questions posed by the floor and opposition, before summarizing their key points. The MACE format of the debate is designed to be beginner-friendly and to prepare students for BP Parliamentary style debate (which it is modeled on). Derived from the Oxford Union debating society of Oxford University , Oxford-style debating is a competitive debate format featuring

23074-409: The spurs to his boots upside down. The Duke was mildly shocked and insisted on bending down to fit Randolph's spurs correctly. Randolph was in love with Laura Charteris (she did not reciprocate) but his mistress at the time was the American actress Claire Luce , who often visited him in camp. He appears to have decided that as Winston's only son, it was his duty to marry and sire an heir in case he

23240-532: The subject of long leases, including an area of land around the rear of the debating chamber, part of the Union cellars (adjoining that now occupied by the LGBTQ+ venue Plush), and part of what was formerly the Steward's house (now occupied by the Landmark Trust). The creation of OLDUT secured the future of the Union's buildings such that even if the Oxford Union Society were to cease to be or fail financially

23406-619: The summer he was summoned to the High Court to pay damages of £1,000; when advised that without an apology his career in politics was over, he immediately backtracked. Randolph Churchill was an effective manipulator of the media, using his family name to obtain coverage in newspapers such as the Daily Mail . In the November 1935 general election he stood as the official Conservative candidate at Labour-held West Toxteth ; reportedly he

23572-455: The term they stand for election. For the other offices, candidates must have additionally made two such speeches in the previous term. Elections are always held on Friday of 7th Week of the university's Full Term . The election for the Chair of the Consultative Committee is held at the meeting of the Consultative Committee on Monday of 8th Week of each term. Only members who have attended four of

23738-457: The topic of free speech. The Student Population at a Council meeting voted to oppose the invitations. Following this and protests by other student groups, a poll of the Union's members was taken and resulted in a two-to-one majority in favour of the invitations. On the evening of the planned debate several hundred protesters gathered outside the Union buildings, chanting anti-fascist slogans and later preventing guests and Union members from entering

23904-513: The union debated the motion "That this House Would Say Yes to Europe" with Conservative leader Ted Heath, Liberal Party leader Jeremy Thorpe and senior Labour cabinet minister Barbara Castle speaking in the debate. It was televised live by the BBC shortly before the referendum, in June 3, 1975. In 1985, David Lange , prime minister of New Zealand, debated against the American evangelist Jerry Falwell

24070-584: The university, but only if they are deemed worthy by a full meeting of the Union's Standing Committee after submitting a written application to the Secretary and subsequent interview by a member of the Standing Committee. The Oxford Union buildings are located in Frewin Court (off Cornmarket Street ) and on St Michael's Street , and are owned by a separate charitable trust , the Oxford Literary and Debating Union Trust ("OLDUT"). The Oxford Union

24236-428: The winner by a list of criteria that is usually based around the concepts of "content, style, and strategy". There are numerous styles of competitive debating, organizations, and rules, and competitive debates are held across the world at all levels. Competitive debating is often most commonly found in secondary schools and institutions of higher education, especially in the United States , where competitive debating

24402-488: The wood-panelled Macmillan Room with barrel ceiling. The buildings have gradually been added to with paintings and statues of past presidents and prominent members. The Old Library contains a fireplace situated in the middle of the floor with a concealed flue, a rare design of which only a handful of examples survive in the UK. The debating chamber features busts of such notables as Roy Jenkins , Edward Heath , Michael Heseltine , George Curzon and William Gladstone . It

24568-418: Was "unfortunate in his manner and phrasing" and was met with "delighted jeers". He then attempted to withdraw the motion. Hardie was willing to permit this, but an ex-president pointed out from the floor that a vote of the whole house was required to allow a motion to be withdrawn. The request to withdraw was defeated by acclamation and the motion was then defeated by 750 votes to 138 (a far better attendance than

24734-484: Was a mixed blessing: "because of the very facility with which he could speak extemporaneously [he] failed to make the effort required to bring him more success". Randolph very nearly married Kay Halle of Cleveland , Ohio, seven years his senior. His father wrote begging him not to be so foolish as to marry before he had established a career. Clementine visited him in December, using money Winston had given her to buy

24900-599: Was able to put her entire salary towards paying Randolph's debts. She may also have had a miscarriage at this time. The marriage was as good as over, and she soon began an affair with her future husband Averell Harriman , who was also staying at the Dorchester at the time. Once in Egypt, Randolph served as a General Staff (Intelligence) officer at Middle East HQ. Averell Harriman visited Randolph in Cairo in June 1941 to bring him news of his family. Randolph, who himself had

25066-418: Was anything but kind to Winston, who adores him". The polemic against appeasement Guilty Men (July 1940), in fact written anonymously by Michael Foot , Frank Owen , and Peter Howard , was wrongly attributed to Randolph Churchill. Randolph was elected unopposed to Parliament for Preston at a wartime by-election in September 1940. Soon afterwards, his son Winston was born on 10 October 1940. During

25232-515: Was born at his parents' house at Eccleston Square , London, on 28 May 1911. His parents nicknamed him "the Chumbolly" before he was born. His father Winston Churchill was already a leading Liberal Cabinet Minister, and Randolph was christened in the House of Commons crypt on 26 October 1911, with Foreign Secretary Sir Edward Grey and Conservative politician F. E. Smith among his godparents . Randolph and his older sister Diana had for

25398-543: Was established in 1987 by the Republican and Democratic parties. The presidential debate's primary purpose is to sponsor and produce debates for the United States presidential and vice-presidential candidates in a nonpartisan environment. The organization, which is a nonprofit, nonpartisan corporation, sponsored all of the presidential debates in 1988 , 1992 , 1996 , 2000 , 2004 , 2008 , 2012 , 2016 , and 2020 . However, in announcing its withdrawal from sponsoring

25564-475: Was his only son. On a visit to Italy in 1927 Winston and Randolph were received by Pope Pius XI . In later life "relations between Winston and Randolph were always uneasy, the father alternately spoiling and being infuriated by the son." In April 1928 Winston forwarded a satisfactory school report to Clementine, who was in Florence, commenting that Randolph was "developing fast" and would be fit for politics,

25730-485: Was introduced by a president or moderator, who then moderated the discussion. Speakers were allotted specific time frames to present their arguments, and, following the debate, a vote was conducted to reach a conclusion or to adjourn the topic for further deliberation. Speakers were prohibited from slandering or insulting other speakers or straying from the designated topic, underscoring the premium placed on politeness by late 18th-century debaters. Princeton University in

25896-528: Was killed, a common motivation among young men at the time. He quickly became engaged to Pamela Digby in late September 1939. It was rumoured that Randolph had proposed to eight women in the previous few weeks, and Pamela's friends and parents were not pleased about the match. She was charmed by Randolph's parents, both of whom warmed to her and felt she would be a good influence on him. They were married in October 1939. On their wedding night, Randolph read her chunks of Edward Gibbon 's The Decline and Fall of

26062-509: Was long and lively, carried out in wintry conditions in which Randolph and the other candidates drove many miles over narrow mountain tracks, carrying spades in their cars to dig themselves out of snowdrifts, to reach far areas of the large constituency. Although Randolph enjoyed it all enormously, he was defeated again. This embarrassed his father, who was hoping to be offered a Cabinet position at this time. In September 1936, at his father's behest, Randolph pursued his younger sister Sarah to

26228-622: Was met with criticism from the Oxford University LGBTQ+ Society and the student union, who alleged Stock's views were transphobic and called upon the union to rescind the invitation. The union declined to disinvite Stock, saying in a statement that members would have the 'opportunity to respectfully engage and challenge' Stock. Letters both in support and in opposition to Stock's talk were published in national publications, signed by academics and students, and prompted intervention from prime minister Rishi Sunak , who told

26394-445: Was never financially secure and had a significant level of historic debt associated with the erection of its buildings. Following a particularly bad period in the 1970s, the Union buildings were sold to OLDUT (the Oxford Literary and Debating Union Trust), and the Oxford Union Society was granted a licence to occupy the building. Several parts of what were historically the Union buildings and grounds were subsequently either sold or made

26560-552: Was not as successful as that of his father or grandfather Lord Randolph Churchill . In an attempt to assert his own political standing he announced in January 1935 that he was a candidate in the Wavertree by-election in Liverpool; on 6 February 1935, an Independent Conservative on a platform of rearmament and opposition to Indian Home Rule . His campaign was funded by Lucy, Lady Houston , an eccentric ardent nationalist who owned

26726-532: Was not at all good" and commented that he should have had it well-practised by now, although she was impressed by his delivery. She went home in April 1931, having enjoyed Randolph's company in New York. She would later look back on the trip with nostalgia. Randolph's lecture tour earned him $ 12,000 (£2,500 at the then rate of exchange, roughly £150,000 at 2020 prices). By the time of his mother's arrival he had already spent £1,000 in three months, despite being on

26892-609: Was regarded as having a calming influence on him, although his housemaster Colonel Sheepshanks wrongly suspected Randolph and Tom of being lovers; Randolph replied, "I happen to be in love with his sister". Randolph was "a loquacious and precocious boy". From his teenage years he was encouraged to attend his father's dinner parties with leading politicians of the day, drink and have his say, and he later recorded that he would simply have laughed at anyone who had suggested that he would not go straight into politics and perhaps even become prime minister by his mid-twenties like William Pitt

27058-747: Was sensitive to the "co-operation and self-sacrifice" of parts of the Empire that in 1942 were in more immediate danger than the British Isles, mentioning Australia and Malaya which suffered under Japanese threats of invasion. He was scathing of Sir Herbert Williams' Official Report into the Conduct of the War. His father, who was under great stress following recent Japanese victories in the Far East, visited him briefly in Cairo in spring 1942. Randolph had

27224-413: Was so unwelcome that they threw bananas. The Earl of Derby lent his support, and Randolph continued to aid the Conservative campaigning across the city. He stood for Parliament a third time, as a Unionist on 10 February 1936 in a by-election at Ross and Cromarty , opposed to the National Government candidacy of Malcolm MacDonald . Randolph's campaign was funded by Lady Houston for a third time. It

27390-414: Was then chased around Oxford by undergraduates who intended to debag him (i.e., humiliate him by removing his trousers), and was then fined by the police for being illegally parked. In 1964, the Oxford Union invited American civil rights activist Malcolm X to speak on the motion, "This House Believes Extremism in Defence of Liberty is no Vice; Moderation in the Pursuit of Justice is no Virtue". In 1975

27556-453: Was very good-looking as a child and into his twenties. In his autobiography Twenty-One Years (pp. 24–25) he recorded that at the age of ten he had been "interfered with" by a junior prep school master, who made Randolph touch him sexually, only to leap embarrassed to his feet when a matron came in. At home, a maid overheard Randolph confiding in his sister Diana. He later wrote that he had never seen his father so angry, and that he had made

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