Following Boris Johnson’s resignation speech, body language expert Darren Stanton analyses his appearance outside number 10 and how the Prime Minister showed ‘no emotion’ while addressing the public.
Darren, on behalf of Slingo, reveals Boris’ attempt to present himself as ‘stoic and solemn’ as he showed a different side to his character, but verbally reinforced resigning wasn’t a move he wanted to make.
Darren said: “Boris was far less animated in his body language - instead presenting himself as stoic and still. Generally with Boris we see this very larger-than-life character, who tries to present with humour and plenty of animation. What we saw today, however, was a much more dignified version of Boris. It’s a great shame that this is the first time we have seen this version of him, delivering his sentiment with an almost solemn delivery.
“Unlike previous PM’s, like Theresa May, who became very emotional - she began to cry and her voice cracked - when she delivered her resignation, we saw no such emotion in Boris. There were no emotional shifts in his physiology and micro-expressions of sadness were absent from his face throughout his speech.
“We know one of his idols is Winston Churchill and it was almost like he attempted to adopt the same ‘stiff upper lip’ mindset in order to deliver his final message to the British public.
“Interestingly, Boris never officially said the words ‘I resign as Prime Minister’ in his speech, instead revealing how he will remain as a leader until a new PM is appointed - a clear sign that this isn’t the decision he wanted to make.
“Showing humility and gratefulness to the public for allowing him to serve in this role showed a side to Boris’ character that we rarely got to see throughout his time in office. From a non-verbal perspective, through his body language, he conducted himself with great dignity and gravitas.
“Boris was surprisingly calm throughout his speech. He remained composed and largely unfazed as he received a mixed reaction from the crowds gathered. It’s clear he wanted to stay in position as PM, but has finally grasped the fact he wasn’t going to survive this situation and emotionally portrayed forced acceptance. Whether this was a new strategy or a sign he has finally accepted his fate, only time will tell.”
