Closing Government (CG) / Closing Opposition (CO)

The two teams of the Closing Half. Closing Government (CG) speaks fifth and seventh (Member of Government, then Government Whip); Closing Opposition (CO) speaks sixth and eighth (Member of Opposition, then Opposition Whip). Their role fulfilment is to extend the debate: the Member speeches must add something their side has not yet said, and a Closing team is credited only for what goes beyond its Opening team's material, so merely "having an extension" does not beat Opening. Closing teams must stay consistent with their Opening team apart from a few rare exceptions (see Knifing). The Whip summarises and may add new rebuttal or develop the Member's material, but not new non-responsive material that significantly changes the direction of the Member's case (see New Material).

• Roles: MG / MO and GW / OW.
• Diagonals: CG is compared with OO, and CO with OG (see Diagonal Bench Dynamics).