Debating a Motion
Moving a motion
The person moving the motion should be invited by the chair to speak in support of the motion, and should then explain in a short speech their reasons for moving the motion. When they have finished, and if the wording has not been previously circulated, the chair should ask the secretary to read the motion to the meeting. If the motion has not been circulated or handed up in writing, the chair should ask the mover whether the wording of the motion as read by the secretary is correct.
Preliminary discussion
At branch meetings, committees or small business meetings, it is often desirable for there to be a little discussion before a motion is requested, although if the chair feels that the discussion is becoming inconclusive, they should insist that a motion be moved. But preliminary discussion is unsuitable in the case of large meetings, and the chair should not permit it.
Seconding
When the mover has agreed that the wording is correct, the chair should ask: ‘Does anyone second this motion?’ Some other member will say: ‘I second the motion’. The seconder may then speak in support or may reserve their remarks for later, in which case they will be able to reply to points made against the motion. Usually they will prefer to speak at once. The chair should then announce: ‘The motion is now open for discussion’.
Except at certain small and relatively informal committee meetings, no discussion, other than the explanatory speech of the mover, should be permitted on a motion until it has been seconded. Some organisations go further and will not allow the mover to explain their motion until it has received a seconder, but this is rather extreme.
If no seconder is forthcoming, the motion falls and the field is open for any other motion dealing with the subject. A motion which has failed to get a seconder may, if desired, be put forward again at a later stage in the debate, when a seconder may be forthcoming. If another motion is then before the meeting, the revived proposition will have to be taken as an amendment.
Debate on a motion
Once a motion is seconded, any member may express their views on it. It is best, if possible, to have opposing points of view expressed alternately. Thus, once the mover and seconder have spoken in favour of the motion, the next person selected by the chair to speak should be an opponent of the motion. (The chair might ask potential speakers whether they are for or against.) Then, when the opponent has finished, a speaker in favour of the motion should continue the debate. It is not always practicable to regulate discussion in this way, but debates are far more interesting when the disputants for and against the motion can speak in rotation.
Catching the chair’s eye
When a member wants to speak, they should (except at relatively small meetings) rise and call out ‘Mr’ or ‘Madam Chair’. If several members rise at the same time, the person seen first by the chair has the right to address the meeting. This can be a potential cause of ill-feeling, and to prevent accusations of bias the chair should avoid calling speakers from only one part of the room, and make sure that all points of view are heard. It helps if the chair writes down a list of those who have indicated they wish to speak and then announces the order in which they will take them. As a matter of courtesy, precedence is usually given to a new member or to one who has not previously spoken during the meeting.
Motion that a speaker be heard
Generally, the chair’s decision will be accepted without question, but if the meeting wants to hear a certain speaker who has been overlooked by them, it is in order for a motion to be moved for that purpose – for example, ‘That Jane Smith be heard’. This must be accepted by the chair and, if seconded and carried, Jane Smith will immediately address the meeting.
Listing names
Although it is unusual and applicable only to large meetings, one way of getting over the problem of spotting potential speakers is for the chair to ask at the beginning of a debate that all those who want to speak should send their names up to the chair in writing and to indicate whether they are for or against the motion. The chair should then put the names down on the list of speakers in the order that they have been handed in. Periodically in the course of a debate they should announce the names of the speakers who are still to address the audience, and the order in which they are to be heard. The chair may announce at a certain stage in the debate that they will accept the names of no more speakers.
Number of speeches
Speakers may address the meeting once only on any motion: otherwise, there would be repetition (unless points of order, explanation or information are being made; see chapter 13). The exception to this is the mover of an original motion, who has the right to reply. In small committees, however, speakers are not so restricted, and may speak as many times as they are able.
Length of speeches
As the object for most meetings is to do business, the shorter a speech the better, provided that no one is prevented from properly expressing themselves. Five or ten minutes should be ample at meetings of union branches and similar bodies, and the standing orders should impose a definite limit on the length of speeches. If a speaker exceeds this limit, the chair should ask them to wind up briefly. Otherwise, future speakers will also try to extend their time limit and the chair’s authority will have been undermined.
At public meetings where the object is to appeal to an audience, or where the speakers have been specially appointed to address a meeting, there can be greater freedom. If there is a single speaker they may take anything up to an hour, as long as they are not boring their audience. If there is more than one speaker, half an hour should be ample.
Closing a debate
When the debate has proceeded for a reasonable time, and the speakers for and against have given their views, it should be brought to a close: the rules for this are described in chapter 7. However, it is not usually necessary to have to resort to them and the length of the debate rests very largely with the chair. If the discussion is one-sided, they should ask whether anyone wants to express an opposite point of view. If no-one wishes to do so, the chair should give the mover of the original motion the opportunity to reply, and then close the debate. As an alternative, they may ask the members ‘Are you ready to vote?’ If there is a general cry of ‘Vote’, the chair may take the vote after giving the mover the right to reply.
Another method is for the chair to announce: ‘I consider the question has been discussed pretty fully, but so that no member may think that I am gagging them I shall allow two more members to speak, one for and one against the moton, if they desire’. (The number may be varied as the chair thinks it, as long as they give both sides an equal opportunity.) If no member rises, the debate should be closed at once. The speakers for and against should be heard in rotation.
Mover’s right of reply
Standing orders usually allow the mover of an original motion to reply to the debate on their motion. Whether a mover does so will depend upon the character of the debate.
When to reply if more than one amendment is tabled
There can be confusion about when the mover should reply to the debate if more than one amendment has been tabled to an original motion. The correct time to reply is at the end of the debate on the first amendment (although an alternative, as at the Annual Conference of the Labour Party, is after all the amendments have been moved). Some people think that when the reply of the mover of the original motion has been made, no further amendment can be moved. That is not so (see chapter 5). If amendments have been put down in writing, or if notice of further amendment has been given when the first amendment was before the meeting, the fact that the mover of the original motion replies does not end the debate on the subject altogether. It merely closes the discussion on the first amendment. Once that has been disposed of the later amendments are taken in their proper turn. The mover of the original motion has the right, like any other member, to take part in the discussion on these. The question of amendments is more fully discussed in chapter 5.
No new matter in reply
In replying, the mover should confine themselves to facing the arguments raised, and should not themselves introduce new points into the discussion. If they do introduce new matter (to which no one else would have any opportunity of replying) it would be very unfair and the chair should stop them from doing this. But it is not always easy to judge what is new matter, and unless it is very clear that the mover is really opening up a new debate the chair would be well advised not to intervene.
Voting
The mover of the original motion is the last to speak, and when their reply is completed no further discussion may be allowed. The votes are then taken for and against the motion, the members voting by show of hands. This is the ordinary practice on all but exceptional occasions, and is called ‘putting the question’. Other methods of voting are explained in chapter 8.
Position of defeated motion
If a majority of the members vote against the motion, it is lost, and the field is open for a fresh motion. The same motion cannot be brought forward again at the same meeting, even if it is disguised in some other form. Though the wording may be different, so long as the policy of the motion is substantially the same as that which has been defeated it cannot be allowed to stand. The standing orders of some bodies specify a period of time which must elapse before a defeated motion may be brought before the members again. In some instances this is a matter of months. Although such a lengthy period may often be impracticable, it is desirable that some period of time should be laid down in the standing orders.
Withdrawal of motion
Sometimes, after a motion or an amendment has been moved, seconded and debated, a mover may feel that they can no longer support it, or that they would like to withdraw it in favour of some other course which has been suggested. They will then ask the chair’s permission to withdraw their motion. The chair should not at this point simply ask the seconder of the motion whether they are willing to allow this to be done, and if so, allow the motion to fall.
Instead, the chair should ask the meeting: ‘Is it your wish that this motion be withdrawn?’; if there is no dissent, permission is then given. The reason for this is that once the motion has been proposed and seconded, it becomes the property of the meeting, and cannot be withdrawn without the consent of the meeting – even if one member dissents, the motion must remain. This applies equally to all motions and amendments, whether they are written or verbal. It should be remembered, however, that the mover and seconder of any motion have the right to vote against their own motion if they so desire. No motion or amendment can be withdrawn when the vote is about to be taken. If the ‘previous question’ (described in chapter 7) has been moved, the motion cannot be withdrawn.
In cases where an amendment has been moved to an original motion, the chair must first ask the mover and seconder of the amendment whether they consent to the withdrawal of the original motion. if they agree, they must ask the meeting whether or not anyone objects to the withdrawal. If any member present objects to this course being adopted, the original motion and amendment must stand.
Motion becomes a resolution
If the majority of the votes are in favour of the motion, the chair declares: ‘The motion is carried’. It then changes its name and is thereafter called a resolution. Many people refer indiscriminately to an original motion as the ‘resolution’. The accuracy of this depends on the point of view from which the proposition is regarded. For example, a branch meets and considers a proposition submitted by a member. The proposition at that stage is a motion. If the branch adopts the motion, it becomes a resolution of that branch.
To take the matter a stage further, the branch may forward the resolution to the executive or controlling authority of the society. When it comes before the executive it ceases to be the property of the branch, and must be moved and seconded as a motion before it can be discussed by the executive. It remains a motion until the vote is taken on it, when it is either defeated or passed. In the latter case it becomes a resolution of the executive. In short, any resolution of a constituent body becomes a motion to the major body when it is submitted to a meeting of the latter for consideration.
Resolution cannot be negatived by a subsequent motion
Once the motion has been passed, and has thus become a resolution of the meeting, no motion can subsequently be proposed at that meeting seeking to rescind, negative or destroy it. For instance, it would not be in order for a further motion to be moved, ‘That the resoluton lie on the table until called for’ because that would have the effect of rendering the resolution useless.
Written notice needed to rescind
To rescind a resolution, written notice of motion must be given and circulated to members by the secretary for consideration at a future meeting, in the same way as for ordinary motions. In some cases, however, this restriction may be too rigid – for example, where a union body has resolved to recommend industrial action and the employer has subsequently made a new offer which is acceptable. In such a case there would be no need to act on the resolution.
Record of resolution
It is advisable for a body to keep an up-to-date book of all policy resolutions so that potential contradictions can be pointed out and, if necessary, rectified, and so that disputes over what is policy can be sorted quickly.