University of Exeter Debating Society

The Exeter University Debating Society is a debating society founded in 1893 by the students of Exeter University. On the Exeter Campus it is informally known as DebSoc. it is the university's oldest society and is the largest political society on campus.
Early History
The Exeter University Debating Society was formed in 1893 as a purely gentleman's debating society. The earliest recorded Friday night debate was held on an 4 February 1906 entitled 'The advantages of being a member of a large family outweigh the disadvantages'. The student magazine stated the debate was held with 'eloquence, energy and enthusiasm'. Further controversial motions have included 'Should Bachelors be taxed' (1905) in which the opposition declared 'the whole scheme is set to be a man trap set by female ingenuity for female benefit'. The First World War proved difficult for the society with many of its members leaving to fight. A number of debates were still held however. These included 'Conscription is necessary for our Empire' (1915) and 'There should be no co-education of the sexes' (1916) in which one speaker famously remarked "that flirty girls give a man as much experience in an hour as he would gain in twelve months by watching girls a few yards off".
The Society today
The Debating Society week generally consists of two events a week. A Monday workshop is held for those who wish to practice their debating skills and prepare for competition. Every Friday evening at 7:00pm the society invites an external panel of four speakers to debate a motion. Friday night debates continue to be held in the mooting room of the Amory building which regularly attracts a full house of over 250 members of the audience. Recent speakers have included Members of Parliament Ben Bradshaw, Jacob Rees-Mogg, Nick De-Bois and Steve Gilbert, members of the European Parliament Graham Watson and Keith Taylor, journalists Peter Hitchens and , anti war campaigner Lindsay German and Apprentice star Katie Hopkins
The society also provides an excellent environment for those wishing to take part in competitive debating. Aside from the weekly workshop, the society regularly attends competitions at home and abroad. Exeter University also holds a national IV in the second week of May. It also holds the Exeter internal IV - a prestigious debating competition among the university students.
The social highlights of the society remain the winter and spring balls, though a variety of other events also occur.
Administrative Structure
The Society is run exclusively by a committee of 10 directly elected positions. These are: President, Vice President, Chairman, General Secretary, Treasurer, Publicity Officer as well as two social secretaries, and two IV Co-ordinators. The committee serve for one academic year and are elected in the second week of March. The committee is joined in October by two representatives from the first year of Exeter Students. These are Freshers Representatives or Freps for short.
Former Presidents
*1990/91 A Hunter
*1991/92 A Wiseman
*1992/93 W Perrin
*1993/94 L Willcox
*1994/95 A Cook
*1995/96 C Pickard
*1996/97 E Morris
*1997/98 K Cruwys Harris
*1998/99 P Norsworthy
*1999/00 K Steenson
*2000/01 E Parr
*2001/02 W Purle
*2002/03 R Bjayou
*2003/04 O Hartwright
*2004/05 R Sampson
*2005/06 B James
*2006/07 O Parsons
*2007/08 D Scatcherd
*2008/09 R Stern
*2009/10 C Fullbrook
*2010/11 H Lloyd
*2011/12 B Jones
*2012/13 V Windsor
*2013/14 S Pepe
*2014/15 C Bitcon
Notable Alumni
*Raef Bjayou - British entrepreneur and television presenter who was fired in week 9 during series four of The Apprentice
*David Burrowes - MP for Enfield Southgate
*Robert Halfon - MP for Harlow, Minister without Portfolio
*Sajid Javid - MP for Bromsgrove, Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills
*Tim Montgomerie - British Conservative Party activist, blogger, and columnist and former comment editor for The Times
*Jeremy Wright - MP for Kenilworth and Southam, the Attorney General for England and Wales, Advocate General for Northern Ireland
Notable Speakers
*Anthony Eden, British Prime Minister
*Lord Asquith, British Prime Minister
*Major James Coldwell, Canadian social democratic politician
*Michael Foot, Former leader of the Labour Party
*Jacob Rees-Mogg, Member of Parliament
*Ilan Pappé, Palestinian Academic
*Roy Jenkins, British politician and writer
*Robert Maclennan, British Liberal Democrat life peer
*Ludovic Kennedy, British journalist, broadcaster, humanist
*Patrick Mayhew, British barrister and Conservative Party politician
*Christopher Gill, Maastricht Rebel
*Victor Lownes, Head of Playboy Magazine and close confidant of Hugh Hefner
*Barry Took, English writer, television presenter and comedian
*Willie Rushton, English cartoonist, satirist, comedian, actor and performer who co-founded the satirical magazine Private Eye.
*Tony Slattery, English actor and comedian
*Ron Todd, general secretary of the Transport and General Workers' Union (TGWU)
*John Bercow, British politician who has been the Speaker of the House of Commons since June 2009
*Edward Heath, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from June 1970 to February 1974
*Geoffrey Howe, British former Conservative politician
*Bernard Ingham, British journalist and former civil servant who is best known as Margaret Thatcher's chief press secretary
*Tam Dalyell, British Labour Party politician
*Charles Strachey, 4th Baron O'Hagan, British Conservative party politician.
*Martyn Lewis, British television news presenter and journalist
*Matthew Parris, British journalist and former Conservative politician
*Cecil Parkinson, British Conservative politician and former Cabinet Minister
*Jeremy Paxman, English broadcaster, journalist and author
*Ian Hislop, British journalist, satirist, writer, broadcaster and editor of the magazine Private Eye
*Michael Mates, Conservative Party politician
*Jeremy Vine, British author, journalist and news presenter for the BBC
*Rory Bremner, Scottish impressionist and comedian, noted for his work in political satire
*Oliver McGregor, Baron McGregor of Durris, Chairman, Advertising Standards Authority and the Press Complaints Commission
*Mark Thatcher, son of Margaret Thatcher, Baroness Thatcher
*Edward Pearce, English political journalist and writer, notable for being the leader writer for The Daily Telegraph and The Guardian
*Oleg Kalugin, Longtime head of KGB operations in the United States
*Stephen Fry, English comedian, actor, writer, presenter, and activist
*Madsen Pirie, British researcher, author, and educator
*Emma Nicholson, Baroness Nicholson of Winterbourne, British Liberal Peer
*Dale Campbell-Savours, British Labour Party politician
*Jane Ewart-Biggs, Baroness Ewart-Biggs, British Labour Party politician
*Andrei Navrozov, Russian poet and writer
Current and Past Patrons
*Tony Blair, British Labour Prime Minister
*Edward Heath, Conservative Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from June 1970 to February 1974
*Geoffrey Howe, British former Conservative politician
*Henry Bellingham, British Conservative politician
*Michael Foot, Former leader of the Labour Party
*Basil Hume, Former Archbishop of Westminster
Debating Scholarship
Since 2012 alumni of the Debating Society have supported two Scholarships every year. The Debating Scholarships for 2016/17 are a value of £1,500 each. The scholarships are funded entirely by Society alumni and are administered jointly by the English Speaking Union and Exeter University. The scholarships aim to support students doing an undergraduate degree programme who can demonstrate a commitment to being involved in debating with the University's Debating Society.
* Exeter Debating Scholarship
Related
* : Cambridge Union Society
* : Oxford Union Society
* : The Durham Union Society
* : London School of Economics, Grimshaw International Relations Club
* :Yale Debate Association
* :Berkeley Forum
* :Olivaint Conférence
* :Studentenforum im Tönissteiner Kreis
* :Olivaint Conference of Belgium

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