Urban Debate League National Finals

On Monday 3 July, Dixons Fazakerley Academy competed at the national finals of the Urban Debate League. After getting up at 4:30 AM, the team met at Liverpool Lime Street Station ready for their 2-hour train journey to London. We arrived in the busy capital on time, and raring to compete in the most prestigious youth debating tournament in the country. When we arrived at The Bank of America HQ, we were greeted by some of the best and most successful debate teams in the United Kingdom. Despite being the only team north of Birmingham, we were not fazed by our mostly-London competitors.

The first motion was ‘This House Believes fines should be based on income’. We were placed on side proposition, which was arguably the more difficult debate. Our competitions were a top London school and last year’s national champions. Despite the odds being against us, we managed to overcome this incredible team, securing our first victory of the day. For the second round, we were given a motion with a more philosophical flavour. Again, we were placed on side proposition, and therefore had the more challenging debate. Thanks to our teamwork and tenacity, our incredible debates managed to secure another victory.

Feeling positive, we readied ourselves for Grand Final announcement. After two rounds of debate, the points were added up, and the two highest scoring teams would be entered into the final debate of the day. Unfortunately, on this occasion, we narrowly missed out on a top 2 place. Despite not lifting the trophy, we left London with our heads held high. Not only did we beat last year’s national champions, but we held onto our undefeated streak for another year. All in all, another very successful day of debating.