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Have to admit, I have a problem with people who coach debaters, Wazza. What happens to the successful ones? They grow up to become lawyers and politicians, ie professional liars. Part of their training in the lying trade is to argue a contradictory point to what they believe. After a while, a "good" liar or politician can lie fluently without realising they are lying.

Debating can be good for reasoned argument, but it also causes ethical schizophrenia.

All of which means no real conviction politicians, just some preprogrammed robots.

I understand the necessity of lawyers having to argue cases they don't believe in, but politicians . . . . nah, scum.

But were you able to get a straight answer out of any of them?

If I've mentioned this before, I apologise, but the Beeb once set Robin Cook up. Had him appearing on Question Time, in Brussels, in front of an audience of Euro Parliament staff hostile to his views on the esteemed institution. They were baying for blood so much that even Sir Robin Day, fearing he might be booed, started barracking Cook. To his credit, the gnome took all the abuse and wouldn't throw the angry mob a conciliatory bone.

Wasn't this the debate that someone suggested that [BGAFD Admin: This text has been automatically blocked] be invited?