THE most striking messages said that Tony Blair is under terrible pressure, while Gordon Brown is coping much better.
Normally it is the Chancellor who shows signs of worry while the Prime Minister is the consummate performer, but yesterday that was reversed. Mr Blair revealed signs of anxiety. His mouth involuntarily indicated deep disquiet. Several times he opened it slightly and pulled down the corners, in the antithesis of a smile.
He puckered and tensed his chin, as one does when expecting to be punched. There were no power gestures, no signals that he’s the boss. His speech was slow, with hoarseness in his voice. As he said: “I think I speak for all my Cabinet colleagues,” he shook his head unconsciously.
Mr Brown, by contrast, seemed to be coping remarkably well. There was less disjunction between what he was trying to say and his non-verbal signals.
He contained all signs of anxiety, keeping everything under control. Mr Brown’s demeanour suggests that he is riding high. He looks almost as if he knows something we don’t.
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Dr Peter Collett is a psychologist and body language expert