The Prime Minister was trapped in an awkward exchange with his Conservative rival as the pair walked side by side towards the House of Lords for the King's speech. Sir Keir Starmer appeared 'nervous' ahead of the State Opening of Parliament – displaying a 'brittle-looking facial expression' and 'attempts at smiling'.
Lip readers have shared their verdict on the brief small talk, noting the duo's 'relatively neutral' facial expressions and body language. The encounter was followed later by the Labour leader setting out his new goals in the monarch's speech – including controversial plans to limit trials by jury, introduce digital ID and pave the way for closer alignment with the European Union.
Speaking to the Daily Mail on the corridor encounter, one lip reader said: 'Keir does appear to be less relaxed while Kemi does most of the talking.' At one point, the prime minister is seen smiling, as he says: 'And that's how it should be.' In an apparent display of solidarity, Ms Badenoch responds: 'It's annoying that it is as combative as... because once you don't do it, people then criticise and say ooh, you haven't got it in you... or something like that.'
Body language expert Judi James suggested a genuine 'friendly' closeness between the pair – despite the walk from the Commons to the Lords threatening to be a 'long and challenging one for Starmer'. She said: 'Despite some still brittle-looking facial expression and attempts at smiling, he opted for non-verbal subtlety rather than making any stabs at poorly-acted overkill displays of a 'carefree' attitude in the face of all the dramas.'
'His approach to Kemi looked like a friendly one with a matey-looking eyebrow flash ritual to invite her to join him on the walk. Kemi's eagerness and enthusiasm was almost comical. Grinning with pleasure she rose from her seat with her hands still clasped in front of her torso in a muscle-testing gesture that hinted at time spent in the gym.'
'As they walked, Kemi grinned while Keir turned his head to face her. As Keir checked the buttons of his jacket, Kemi's smile widened so that her nose became wrinkled in a congruent signal of authentic pleasure. A slight tilting together of their heads at one point suggested a lack of lingering animosity, and Kemi's smile was thoughtfully lacking in any qualities of smugness.'
Sir Keir's 'friendly' moment with Ms Badenoch was short-lived as not long later she informed him he is facing a 'crisis vision, charisma and electoral success'. Addressing the Prime Minister in the Commons, she said: 'We spent the last session listening to Labour MPs telling us how great everything was going. No doubt we will hear lots of grandstanding speeches this week telling us what a fantastic job they did. How absurd, given the number of them demanding that the Prime Minister stands down.'
'We counted, there were 24 U-turns in that first parliamentary session: winter fuel, family farms, grooming gangs, welfare reforms, social media for under 16s, day one workers' rights, the list goes on and on. Leadership is about having a vision for this country. It's about having the courage to take difficult decisions, persuading your party that those difficult decisions will pay off in time, and taking responsibility for your mistakes. He has failed on every count.'
Ms Badenoch was faced with Labour MPs making noise during her speech, to which she responded, 'I know they can't wait to get back to their plotting'. She later said: 'They want to lead our country, they can't even lead a coup'.
The King was joined by Queen Camilla at the State Opening of Parliament today to set out the priorities for beleaguered Sir Keir Starmer's government in the King's Speech. The monarch said the Government will take 'urgent action to tackle antisemitism and ensure all communities feel safe' and 'defend the British values of decency, tolerance and respect for difference under our common flag'.
The King also revealed the Government will legislate in response to the 'horrific attack' in Southport in 2024 with measures to 'protect the British people from extreme violence, and honour the victims, the injured and their families'. The King's Speech ran to 1,285 words, making it one of the longest monarch's speeches at a State Opening of Parliament this century. It was also one of the most legislation-heavy speeches of recent years, containing a total of 37 Bills.
