Liz Truss hinted at her "anger and shock" during her resignation speech and even performed a "sickly" gesture that showed she thought it was a joke, a body language expert has claimed.
Ms Truss dramatically quit after just 44 days in No 10 - making her Britain's shortest-serving Prime Minister ever. She announced her resignation after weeks of turmoil in Downing Street and furious backbench MPs expressing no confidence. In a brief speech, she told the country she recognises she “cannot deliver the mandate” that Tory members gave her a little over six weeks ago. And according to body language expert Judi James, despite putting on a display of "bravado" as she quit - another gesture hinted that she thought the "whole turn of events has been a joke".
Judi told the Mirror: "When she got to the phrase ‘I was elected PM’ a slight smile began to appear, as though signalling pride at the thought.
"That smile began to look bigger but also mirthless when she announced she was resigning and name-checked Graham Brady.
"It looked almost as though she was laughing inwardly at the thought and even sharing that laugh with the public.
"When she said she would remain as PM for the next week the sickly smile became a small chuckle that was audible. It was as though she thinks the whole turn of events has been a joke and not a funny one."
Judi also noted: "Truss’s brief resignation speech was primarily delivered with a mask of what I assume should have been bravado, plus some micro-leakage that hinted at suppressed anger and shock.
"Her bouncing walk as she left the now revolving door of No 10 was similar to the ‘bravery’ bounce she performed when she arrived in the Commons on Monday to sit like a waxwork beside Hunt. It was a counter-intuitive display aimed at suggesting everything in Truss-land was still fine.
"Truss showed some micro-gestures of possible anger at the start of her speech when she referred to the slow economic growth she inherited and to Putin. Despite her drained-looking face, there was a lift of one side of her upper lip and a slight sneer around one nostril."
Meanwhile, Judi also noticed that Ms Truss' husband Hugh O'Leary stood "dutifully" at his wife's side as she gave her speech - but said he was ignored and looked like a "man at a funeral".
She said: "Her husband, whose name we have barely had to learn, did display some concern. Exiting behind her and posing to one side his rigid, penguin-like arm pose suggested the tension about and concern for his wife.
"Walking back into No 10 there were no glances or nods to her husband who followed her in dutifully with his head slightly bowed like a man at a funeral."
