John Smith Memorial Mace

Intervarsity BP debate tournament

The John Smith Memorial Mace (known as the Observer Mace from 1954 to 1995) is an annual debating tournament (British Parliamentary format) contested by universities in England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales. The equivalent competition for secondary schools is the ESU Schools Mace.

The competition was founded in 1954 by the journalist Kenneth Harris of The Observer newspaper, and was sponsored by the newspaper until 1995. It was then renamed the John Smith Memorial Mace in honour of British Labour Party leader John Smith, who won the tournament as a member of the Glasgow University team in 1962, and died in 1994. The competition has been held annually since 1954, except for 1977, when no tournament was organised. In the early years, neither Oxbridge debating societies (the Oxford Union nor the Cambridge Union) participated. Glasgow University Union has been the most successful institution in the competition's history, winning the tournament 16 times, most recently in 2018. In addition to John Smith, other notable former winners include Charles Kennedy, Donald Dewar, John Nicolson, Lord Hunt of Wirral and Professor Anthony Clare.

Since 1993, the competition has been run by the English Speaking Union, with assistance from regional convenors. Four regional tournaments are held each year for universities in England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales. The Irish tournament is open to teams from both the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland. The winners of these four regional competitions then go on to face each other in the International Final, which is held each spring to determine the overall champions. No International Final has been held since 2019, when the English Speaking Union removed its sponsorship of the competition. Only the Scottish Mace (which served as the regional qualifier and national championship for Scotland) and the Irish Mace (which served as the regional qualifier and national championship for the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland) have continued. All debates in the competition are held using the British Parliamentary debate format. Speeches in the International Final and regional finals are seven minutes long, which is similar to most other British Parliamentary format tournaments, where speeches are usually seven or five minutes long. Until 2001, speeches in the tournament's finals were ten minutes long. The Mace is considered by many debaters to be effectively an overall championship for the United Kingdom and Ireland, with the regional qualifying tournaments serving effectively as national championships for England, Scotland and Wales. The Irish Times National Debating Championship served as the Irish qualifier for the Mace in the 1960s, but is now run separately.

YearInstitution / SocietySpeakers2018Glasgow University UnionOwen Mooney & Zannah Muir2017Oxford UnionTeck Wei Tan & Louis Collier2016University College DublinAodhán Peelo & Clíodhna Ní Chéileachair2015Cambridge UnionAshish Kumar & Michael Dunn Goekjian2014Cambridge UnionKitty Parker Brooks & Ben Adams2013Trinity College Dublin Historical SocietySally Rooney & Ian Curran2012University College Dublin Literary & Historical SocietyCiarán Garrett & Michael O'Dwyer2011Cambridge UnionDoug Cochran & Maria English 2010University of Edinburgh Paul Brown & Sebastian Osborn2009Oxford Union Jonathan Leader Maynard & Alex Worsnip2008Lincoln's Inn Usman Ahmed & Hannah Klein2007 Cambridge Union Sam Block & Adam Bott2006 King's Inns Barry Glynn & Mark Murphy2005 Lincoln's Inn Fiona Dewar & Sebastian Isaac2004 Cambridge Union Harriet Jones Fenleigh & Nicholas Tan2003 University College Cork Law SocietyStephen Coutts & Cian Murphy2002 Lincoln's Inn Dennis Kavanagh & George Payne2001 University College Dublin Literary & Historical Society Paul Brady & Colin Walsh2000Trinity College Dublin Philosophical SocietyBob Cuffe & Fergal Davis1999University of EdinburghAndrew Jessop & Richard Wilkins1998 University of Edinburgh Ben Foss & Colm O'Cinneide1997 Trinity College Dublin Philosophical Society Matthew Magee & Alex Massie1996 University of Edinburgh Bob Dalrymple & Stephen Magee1995 Glasgow University Union Manus Blessing & Duncan Hamilton1994 Oxford Union Rufus Black & Rod Clayton1993 Gray's Inn David Langwallner & Alan Maclean 1992 Glasgow University Union Robin Marshall & Paul Sinclair1991 Middle Temple Jeremy Callman & Adam Deacock1990 Glasgow University Union Graeme Cleugh & Andrew Peterson1989 Trinity College Dublin Historical Society Anthony Whelan & Malachy McAllister1988 University College Cork Philosophical Society Adrian Hunt & Tim Murphy1987 Glasgow University Union Jardine Simpson & John Fletcher1986 King's Inns Dermot Horgan & Damien Crawford1985 Glasgow University Union Michael McKirdy & Angus Maciver1984 University College Dublin Literary & Historical Society Shane Murphy & Patrick Whyms1983 Glasgow University Union Michael Macfarlane & John Nicolson1982 Glasgow University Union Charles Kennedy & Clark McGinn1981 Lincoln's Inn Oliver Wise & Anthony Trace1980 Middle Temple Nicholas Mostyn & John Lyons1979 University College Dublin Law Society Donal O'Donnell & Conor Gearty1978 University College Dublin Law Society Donal O'Donnell & Conor Gearty1977 No tournament1976 Inner Temple Oliver Ross & Martin Russell1975 Inner Temple Ian Bullock & Edward Croff1974 Glasgow University Union Alistair Burrow & Martin MacLachlan1973 Ealing College Barrie Hawkins & Bob Meaton1972 Glasgow University Union Alan Gamble & Alistair Robertson1971 Inner Temple John M Aspinall & Dennis M Singham1970 University College Cardiff John Crook & Nick Jenkins1969 Cambridge Union Rajeev Dhavan & Nicholas Stadlen 1968 University of Strathclyde James Hutchison & Victor MacColl1967 Glasgow University Union Colin MacKay & Matthew McQueen1966 Trinity College Dublin Historical Society David J McConnell & Cian Ó hÉigeartaigh1965 University of Bristol Bob Marshall Andrews & David Hunt1964 University College Dublin Literary & Historical Society Anthony Clare & Patrick Cosgrave1963 Glasgow University Union Donald Dewar & Malcom MacKenzie1962 Glasgow University Union A Gordon Hunter & John Smith1961 University of Edinburgh Russell Johnston & David Harcus1960 University College Cardiff Vincent Kane & Mary O'Neill1959 University College Dublin Literary & Historical Society Godfrey Agbim & Owen Dudley Edwards1958 Birkbeck College Ernest C. Dalrymple Alford & Fred Crawford1957 Glasgow University Union Ronald Anderson & James Gordon1956 Glasgow University Union Roger McCormick & J Scott Bernie1955 Glasgow University Union J Dickson Mabon & Andrew Kennedy1954 Ruskin College Tom Megahy & William McCarthy