I was a student at the University of Glasgow in the late 1970s and was actively involved in debating. Amongst other positions I held were: President of Glasgow University Dialectic Society 1978-79 Clerk of Debates, Glasgow University Union, 1977-78 Secretary of Glasgow University Distributist Club, 1976-77 My colleagues on the Clerk's Table in 1977-78 were Harry Moran, Andrew Thompson, Tom Kyle and Michael Gallagher. The Convener of Debates was James Shearer. I was involved in judging schools debating competitions. I spoke at a number of other universities, including the Historical Society of Trinity College, Dublin, and at the University of Aberdeen with Charles Kennedy, subsequently leader of the UK Liberal Democrats. In June 1978 I participated in the World Debating Festival at the University of Sydney Union.

I was Secretary of the British Isles Debates Committee (BIDC) in 1977-78, 1978-79 and again in 1983-84. In that position I organised the Observer Mace Debating Competition. It is now known as the John Smith Mace after the late John Smith MP PC, he having been a winner in the early 1960s.
 
 

There having been uncertainty and some ill-founded speculaton about the history of debating at the University of Glasgow I have compiled some notes from the histories and archives. Debating at Glasgow University dates from the mid to early eighteenth century. [forthcoming.]