England Crowned John Smith Memorial Mace International Champions
Representatives from Baillie Gifford had their first view of ESU debating programmes at the Honorable Society of King's Inns, Dublin on Wednesday 18 April. The Scottish-based independent investment managers are the new sponsors of the John Smith Memorial Mace, the national university debating championships for Britain and Ireland.
Richard Barry, the firm's HR Manager, said "In any team environment people will have different opinions and debating allows all options to be explored. Many companies look to recruit people with debating skills, the ability to construct a persuasive argument, the confidence to speak in front of others and the flexibility to be able to think on their feet. This contest plays an important role in encouraging students to get involved in debating and the skills they learn could benefit them hugely in later life."
As testament to this the Baillie Gifford delegation included not only people new to the ESU but also Ken Barker, no stranger to competitive debate himself as a former finalist in this competition.
A crowd of supporters from the four home nations filled the Inn's portrait-lined dining hall as the speakers prepared to deliver their speeches in the debate. Teams from the Glasgow University Union (representing Scotland), Cardiff University (representing Wales), the Cambridge Union Society (representing England), and University College Dublin Literary & Historical Society (representing Ireland) debated the motion "This House would create a directly-elected executive President of the European Union." Proceedings were opened by Jon Dye, Chairman of ESU Scotland, and chaired by Derek Lande, convenor of the competition in Ireland.
The judging panel, chaired by Clark McGinn, a member of the Centre for Speech and Debate's advisory committee and a winner of the competition for Glasgow University Union in 1983, declared the England team of Sam Block and Adam Bott as champions. Sam was also awarded and awarded the Kenneth Harris Memorial Prize for best speaker in the final, named after the late founder of the competition.
The Centre for Speech and Debate would like to thank Baillie Gifford for their sponsorship, Camilla McAleese and the Honorable Society of King's Inns, Clark McGinn, the rest of the judging panel, and the four national convenors for their time and support in running the competition and ensuring the success of the event.
For more information contact vivienne_thomson@esu.org.
