{"id":65669,"date":"2024-06-04T16:35:41","date_gmt":"2024-06-04T16:35:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/news.talkwithrattan.com\/index.php\/2024\/06\/04\/experts-reveal-what-sunak-and-starmers-body-language-tells-us-about-them\/"},"modified":"2024-06-04T16:35:41","modified_gmt":"2024-06-04T16:35:41","slug":"experts-reveal-what-sunak-and-starmers-body-language-tells-us-about-them","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/news.talkwithrattan.com\/index.php\/2024\/06\/04\/experts-reveal-what-sunak-and-starmers-body-language-tells-us-about-them\/","title":{"rendered":"Experts reveal what Sunak and Starmer\u2019s body language tells us about them"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Experts<\/div>


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“Neither of them are blessed with natural charisma.”<\/p>\n

This rather damning assessment of both Rishi Sunak<\/strong><\/a> and Sir Keir Starmer<\/strong><\/a> – the UK’s choice of future prime minister – focuses on their speech and body language, not how they might lead the country.<\/p>\n

The leaders of the two main parties face weeks of interviews, speeches, and walkabouts as part of their general election campaigns.<\/p>\n

Ahead of their first live TV debate, Sky News speaks to Paul Boross, a business psychologist and body language expert who has coached several politicians and celebrities<\/strong>, and Elizabeth McClelland, forensic voice, speech, and language analyst<\/strong>, about the gestures and verbal ticks that offer an insight into who the two frontrunners really are.<\/p>\n

‘They’re no Obama – or Clinton’<\/strong><\/p>\n

First, we return to the accusation that neither the Conservative nor Labour leader are “blessed with natural charisma”.<\/p>\n

According to Mr Boross, neither Rishi Sunak nor Sir Keir Starmer “have that compelling, preacher-like rhythm to their voices”, as former US Presidents Barack Obama and Bill Clinton do.<\/p>\n

“In this general election we’re not blessed with politicians who have that natural charisma – of an Obama or a Clinton,” he tells Sky News. “They both struggle to build an authentic bond with the public.”<\/p>\n

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\n Barack Obama at the White House in 2016. Pic: Reuters
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By contrast, he credits both American leaders with using few filler words and being “very clear”.<\/p>\n

“If you watch them, they enjoy pausing and bringing people into the conversation. That’s an art,” he says.<\/p>\n

Ms McClelland, who has decades of experience analysing speech for legal cases, says politicians’ media training often makes it “difficult” to get an authentic idea of them.<\/p>\n

But Mr Boross adds: “Although they’ll be working very hard to reduce those weaknesses – their body language and speech patterns often reveal them.”<\/p>\n

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\n Outside Downing Street announcing the election. Pic: Reuters
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Sunak: So fluent he barely blinks – speeding up under pressure<\/strong><\/p>\n

Having analysed Mr Sunak – both when making speeches and in interviews – Ms McClelland notes that he rarely pauses or uses filler words.<\/p>\n

“He’s a remarkably fluent speaker,” she says. “He uses very few what we call pause phenomenon; he very seldom ‘uhms’ or ‘uhs’.”<\/p>\n

This can be helpful, she adds, as it gives interviewers less opportunity to interrupt with a question.<\/p>\n

She also draws on his former jobs in finance – and says: “He has a tendency to sound as though he’s selling you a high-end financial product.”<\/p>\n

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\n At the COVID inquiry in December. Pic: PA
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In terms of the sound of his voice, she describes it as “pure Westminster School, Oxbridge ‘posh’ with a contemporary twist” and “absolutely no reflection of his North Yorkshire constituency”.<\/p>\n

This is highlighted in his pronunciation of the vowels I and O, she says.<\/p>\n

Commenting on his body language, she adds that he “seldom blinks” and has “learned to smile a lot and speak completely to the camera or person he’s talking to.”<\/p>\n

Although his delivery is fluent, Mr Boross notes various ticks that reveal Mr Sunak’s nervousness or discomfort.<\/p>\n

Giving the example of being asked if he “caught pneumonia” after delivering his Downing Street election announcement in the rain, Mr Boross says Mr Sunak often responds with “nervous laughter”.<\/p>\n

“It’s a very Rishi Sunak thing that when he feels confronted, he automatically bursts into nervous laughter,” he says.<\/p>\n

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\n In Inverurie in August 2022. Pic: PA
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Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player<\/p>\n


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PM laughs off washout election launch <\/span>
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He warns that while it may appear friendly, the tendency to “over laugh” at things can come across as “awkward” or “inauthentic”.<\/p>\n

The prime minister also speeds up when under pressure, he adds. “When he’s flustered his speaking pace increases.”<\/p>\n

With regards to body language, Mr Boross claims his facial muscles tighten and hands clench when he feels uncomfortable.<\/p>\n

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\n In Macclesfield in May. Pic: PA
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Although he uses few filler words, the ones he does opt for are “right and “look”, which Mr Boross warns are too “short and sharp”.<\/p>\n

“He uses shorter, sharper ones to try and get on the front foot in interviews, but it comes across a little too tetchy”.<\/p>\n

“It makes him seem like psychologically he’s already in opposition,” he adds.<\/p>\n

“He practically interrupts people when he says ‘right’, which can allow a slight air of superiority to manifest”.<\/p>\n

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\n In West Sussex in February. Pic: PA
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Starmer: ‘Lawyer-ly’ over-caution with too many ‘uhms’<\/strong><\/p>\n

Sir Keir Starmer’s previous job as a barrister still dictates the way he speaks, according to the experts.<\/p>\n

While Ms McClelland describes him as “serious”, Mr Boross says he is “over-cautious” with “controlled gestures”.<\/p>\n

“His lawyer-ly tone can be a bit over-cautious, and while precise, it can seem overly formal and lacking in spontaneity and emotional engagement,” Mr Boross says.<\/p>\n

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Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player<\/p>\n


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PM ‘sounding desperate’ over TV debates<\/span>
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This also comes through in his body language, he adds, via a furrowed brow and “frequently looking worried or stressed”.<\/p>\n

Both experts note he says ‘uhm’ and ‘uh’ far more often than his rival.<\/p>\n

While in a legal context, McClelland claims this can be an indicator someone is lying, she says it can be a “purely innocent” feature of processing.<\/p>\n

“Being a lawyer, he likes to think before he speaks, therefore I think he wants to be sure he’s expressing himself lucidly and sincerely,” she says.<\/p>\n

Mr Boross argues it makes him sound less confident, however.<\/p>\n

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\n On the campaign trail in West Sussex on 27 May. Pic: PA
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“When I’ve worked with politicians, it’s one of the first things I eradicate from their speech, because it kills the message and makes them sound unsure.”<\/p>\n

He adds that Sir Keir’s use of other fillers such as “right?” and “you know?” have the same effect, and suggest he needs reassurance around what he is saying.<\/p>\n

While Mr Sunak appears to be making a concerted effort to sound more southern with his accent, Ms McClelland claims his Labour rival is doing the opposite.<\/p>\n

“One thing I note with great interest is Starmer’s efforts to emphasise his northern credentials,” she says.<\/p>\n

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\n With the editor of the Manchester Evening News in Oldham in January. Pic: PA
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\n Labour leader Harold Wilson at the 1967 Labour Party Conference in Scarborough. Pic: PA
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Drawing a comparison with former Labour prime minister Harold Wilson, she claims Sir Keir’s pronunciation of his L and A sounds are not in line with his Surrey upbringing, Oxford education, and north London parliamentary seat.<\/p>\n

While Mr Sunak appears “more relaxed” in front of a camera, Ms McClelland sees more sincerity in Sir Keir’s style.<\/p>\n

“I think you get more of a sense of the man behind the media image than you do with Sunak,” she says.<\/p>\n

And Mr Boross adds, that although still less fluent, Sir Keir is “loosening up” and has demonstrated a “better and faster” arc of improvement than his rival.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n


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