Politics

Anger, frustration and desperation – what Theresa May’s body language REALLY says about PM


Mrs May was Home Secretary at the time of the 2015 Brexit referendum, and was elected leader after announced his resignation the day after the result, which saw 52 percent of voters opt to leave the EU. The intervening months have been inhumanly tough for the Prime Minister tasked both with delivering an almost impossible Brexit while being derided from all sides. Ms James says: “With the notable exception of Donald Trump, all world leaders tend to age visibly and/or exhibit signs of pressure or stress during their time in office, but in the case of Theresa May the Herculean size of the task she picked up when she became PM the physical effort required and the increasing sense of political isolation and lack of support has created a faster metamorphosis than most.”

The pictures demonstrated changes which were far from the “slow, linear deterioration” normally seen with political leaders.

She adds: “The most dramatic spike occurred within her first year in office when the shock election results caused a complete physical deflation, leading to conscious modifications as she went into battle rather than riding on what was seen to be a crest of popularity at the start.

Picture 1: July 12, 2016 – Mrs May arrives at David Cameron’s final cabinet meeting as Home Secretary, and as new Tory Party leader

Ms James describes Mrs May’s signals of confidence as “contagious”, adding: “After the shock Brexit result and Cameron’s resignation her aura of experience and no-nonsense capability made her appear tailor-made for the job of steering the UK through Brexit.

“Good leadership body language should be evaluated by how the leader makes the voters feel and there was a sense of reassurance from May’s pace, energy and sense of purpose here.

“Her head is raised and her eyes are direct to camera, forming a powerful tie-sign of openness and confidence with her audience. This head angle and eye expression suggest she had an expectation of being liked or admired here.”

Pointing out her pace mirrored that of at the height of her powers, she added: “Her neck shows no signs of tension and her shoulders look splayed rather than hunched.

“The jumbo-sized pearls became a signature look of huge necklaces but it’s interesting to note that she wears the heavy-looking necklace here, rather than being pulled down by it as she has often seemed to be when she’s worn large chains or metal beads since.

Picture 2: July 20th 2016 German Chancellor welcomes Mrs May to Berlin

Despite Mrs May often looking “physically uneasy” in sociable situations, her initial rapport with Mrs Merkel is obvious, despite Brexit , says Ms James.

She adds: “Merkel’s pursed-lips smile and the crinkling around her eyes suggest congruent signs of pleasure as she talks, while May’s head tilt and face-watching showed a friendly sense of what looked like warmth and personal confidence.

PIC 3: June 2017 Mrs May waits for the results to be declared in her Maidenhead constituency on the night of the , already aware she had lost her overall majority

The crushing disappointment of seeing her election gamble fail to pay off has resulted in Mrs May’s physical signals of confidence “collapsing like a scuffle”, Ms James says.

She explains: “The energy has drained out of her shoulder area and her centre of gravity has dropped to the pelvis area with some sagging of the upper body suggesting an erosion of confidence and courage.

“Her hands are clasped in front of her torso in a low-slung barrier gesture and the meshed clasp with the palms facing up suggest a sense of defeat and submission at this moment.

“Her tilted head and distant eye gaze looks reflective, as though she’s trying to take in what has happened. Her facial expression looks like a mask of tragedy here. Previously her crescent-shaped eyes were part of an upbeat smile but her mouth shape here involved closed lips and a pulling down at the corners.”

Picture 4: November 2018 Mrs May makes a statement at Downing Street after a hostile reaction to her Brexit divorce deal

By now a “combative look of grim determination” has replaced the natural confidence Mrs May exhibited when she first entered Number 10, Ms James says.

She adds: “May’s steelier strength is more visible here as her oratory became more repetitive and strident. The effort she is putting into persuasion is showing here.

“Her brows are fully raised and her eyes wide open and rounded. Her lips are pulled in a pursed signal of emphasis and the sinews of her neck stand out to show the effort she is now putting into selling her messages.”

Picture 5: March 2018 addresses the nation after asking the European Union for a Brexit extension

As Mrs May fights desperately to salvage her withdrawal agreement and speaks over the heads of MPs and directly to the British people, she has adopted a “more high-powered, presidential look”, says Ms James.

She describes Mrs May’s address as being “underpinned by a sense of anger, frustration and desperation”.

She added: “The lectern hid most of her non-verbal signals to simplify her message here and the wide-lapels and simple silver band around her neck give – like her shorter, blunt-cut hair – a look of pared-back power.

“Underlying the display of strength though it is quite easy to see how the pressure and physical effort were taking their toll. Her mouth forms an open circle as she speaks and her raised eyes look watery and tired.”



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