Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
Politics
Judi James & Sam Elliott-Gibbs

Liz Truss looks 'crushed' and like 'fatally wounded animal' in humiliating conference

Liz Truss looks defeated, deflated and resigned to her fate after the government's latest humiliating U-turn, a top body language expert believes.

The rattled Prime Minister has the look of a 'fatally wounded animal' after today's car crash announcement.

Behavioural expert Judi James told The Mirror that the Tory leader looks like she now has no fight left, five weeks after replacing Boris Johnson at no10.

The shameless PM admitted her mini-Budget went "further and faster" than markets were ready for - but refused to say sorry this afternoon.

Ms Truss, already in a desperate scrap to save her job, today announced that she will hike corporation tax, despite her promises not to.

Liz Truss is clinging to her job by her finger-tips - and looks 'defeated' already (POOL/AFP via Getty Images)

Judi assessed her press conference today where she shirked numerous questions before cutting short the media briefing.

It came just hours after she sacked Chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng and replaced him with former Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt despite the 47-year-old carrying out her orders.

"Truss’s body language made her look like a fatally wounded animal," the expert explained.

"There was no fight left, no bravado and no showboating as she adopted a low-status and subdued delivery that made the reference to her as PM sound wrong.

The PM is already looking out of her depth five weeks after taking the keys to no10 (Getty Images)

"Her enunciation was poor and her delivery subdued. She appeared crushed or low-status, like a junior minister who had drawn the short straw and pushed out to front up a negative message.

"There was no conviction in her tone or her body language.

"Her vocal tone remained flat when she announced Hunt as the new chancellor and when she fielded press questions she barely managed to lift both thumbs to suggest she was ‘determined’.

"Pushed into defending her own job she performed and invisible brick gesture with one brow raised to try to suggest she was still in charge but there were no signs of leadership or strength in her performance.

Judi James says there was 'no conviction in her tone or her body language' on Friday (Sky News)

"Truss looked deflated and resigned. Her body language was like an invitation to replace her with someone with an iota of leadership potential."

The PM defiantly refused to quit, telling reporters that she "had to act in the national interest" - and did not apologise for the chaos she has unleashed.

In a nine-minute Downing Street press conference she also dodged a question on whether she had any credibility left.

The embattled Prime Minister left the room after just four short questions as journalists shouted "aren't you going to say sorry?".

Confirming that she was scrapping her pledge not to raise corporation tax, she said: "It is clear that parts of our mini-Budget went further and faster than markets were expecting, so the way we are delivering our mission now has to change."

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.