Body language expert reveals what Labour MP Diane Abbott was REALLY hiding on Sky News

Diane Abbott, 63, appeared on Sky News this morning talking to Dermot Murnaghan in the wake of the London Bridge terror attacks over the weekend. 

The shadow home secretary stumbled over her words and couldn’t find the answer when quizzed about defences being put in place. 

Robin Kermode, a body language expert, watched the interview and revealed what the Labour Party MP was really saying with her body language. 

Could the fun be over for Jeremy Corbyn’s right hand woman? Or has she worked her way through unscathed? Robin reveals all. 

PICTURE ONE

This is a classic defensive facial reaction to being caught out. An attempt to cover embarrassment with a smile, with lip corners pulled wide, is blocked by the front of the lips being pushed forward at the same time. 

The ‘smile’ doesn’t reach any part of the face let alone the eyes. There is tension everywhere showing complete discomfort. 

It’s the slightly petulant expression of a guilty child upset in front of the Head Teacher. 

Moments later Diane is trying to bluff this one out with a counter-attacking ‘locked’ face. The hooded eyes show both anger and fear and the chin is thrust forward in an attempt to look composed, but the lip corners are too tight and pulled down. 

PICTURE TWO

This image shows just one of the many times that Diane closes her eyes as she speaks. 

This is a subconscious sign of wanting to hide – rather like a child that says: “If I close my eyes you can’t see me!” Although the mouth is open the face is under-energised and lacks direction as if she doesn’t quite know which way to go.

This is a case of the brain opening the mouth before knowing what to say. The mouth is open but the eyes are several seconds behind. The whole head is lowered in embarrassment. 

Just moments after this shot the MP is almost on the verge of tears. The lower part of the face is immobile with the prop corners of the eyes being pulled down, while the eyes themselves try to look upwards – again like a guilty child in front of a teacher. 

We look up to the right when remembering, but we look up to the left when we need to ‘invent’ or ‘re-invent’ the truth. 

PICTURE THREE

The presenter, Dermot Murnaghan, is playing the high status of someone who knows he’s ‘won’. Leaning back, his hands in ‘boxer mode’ ready to take the final blow, he looks down on his prey. 

Diane is forced to look up to Dermot in a submissive pose, with her mouth slightly open in shock clearly not sure how to play this one. 

A person in a more confident situation decides what their mouth will do, whereas Diane’s mouth is drifting open like a buoy without an anchor. 

PICTURE FOUR

The fear pose! This is caused by a fight or flight response. 

Adrenaline is sent to the eyes to widen them to find an escape route. The face is still, almost immobile, but the lip corners aren’t quite sure what to do next. 

Robin Kermode is a popular keynote speaker and one of Europe’s leading communication coaches. He is the founder of Zone2, a professional training and coaching consultancy: www.zone2.co.uk.  Robin is the author of Speak So Your Audience Will Listen – a practical guide for anyone who has to speak to another human being: http://amzn.to/IUv1RD