'Furtive' Rachel Reeves spotted 'slinking into Downing Street' with 'no sign of fight'
The Chancellor entered Downing Street with a 'lowered head and hunched shoulders' as Sir Keir Starmer's premiership continues to hang in the balance.
Rachel Reeves has been spotted "furtively slinking" into Downing Street as pressure mounts on Sir Keir Starmer to resign following Labour's devastating local election results. The Chancellor's "lowered head and hunched shoulders" made her look "self-protective" as she entered Number 11 ahead of a crucial cabinet meeting this morning, according to body language experts.
Housing, communities and local government minister Miatta Fahnbulleh became the first to resign earlier today, urging Sir Keir "to do the right thing for the country and the Party and set a timetable for an orderly transition". Some 78 of Labour's 403 MPs have so far called for the Prime Minister to set out a timetable for stepping down, with a number of junior ministerial aides also resigning overnight.
Ms Reeves, who has been ranked alongside the Prime Minister as the most unpopular figures in Government, appeared "tense" on Tuesday morning, with her posture resembling "a person bracing for impact" and "ready for confrontation", body language experts said.
Judi James, who regularly appears on TV and radio analysing major political and royal events, told the Express: "Slinking into Downing Street, Rachel's lowered head and hunched shoulders make her look furtive and self-protective.
"After Starmer's overkill body language performance of warrior-like determination during his speech yesterday, you might expect Rachel to fall into non-verbal step here by smiling or even marching along to register resilience and a mood of 'business as usual'.
"But her body language suggests a grave position has become even graver since the speech and there's no sign of 'fight' from her appearance here."
The Prime Minister said he would prove his doubters wrong as he vowed to carry on in office on Monday, but rather than inspiring confidence, the speech triggered an avalanche of Labour backbenchers publicly calling for him to go.
Inbaal Honigman, a psychic who has offered commentary on current affairs for major TV programmes, offered an alternative reading of Ms Reeves' body language, suggesting she appeared "filled with purpose".
"As Reeves is seen entering Number 11, her shoulders are raised and elbows pointing outwards, suggesting tension," she said.
"This curled-up posture resembles a person bracing for impact. She's ready for confrontation. Her steps are long and determined, she shows no hesitation of getting stuck into the morning's meeting.
"Those powerful strides indicate a decisive, intentional mindset, as she can already predict the day's events."
Ms Reeves was asked whether Sir Keir would resign by journalists waiting outside Downing Street, to which she offered no response.
