A Tory MP showed “extreme shame” when confronted by an angry mother on BBC Question Time, a body language expert has said.
Amber Rudd, the secretary for Energy and Climate Change faced an emotional barrage of criticism from the audience member, who attacked the Government’s plans to cut working tax credits despite David Cameron’s promises before the election.
Darren Stanton, a body language expert, analysed the clip for The Independent and said the Tory MP appeared increasingly uneasy as she listened to the woman talk.
“This facial expression (picture below) is the beginning of an extreme shame gesture," he said.
"Her head is down to avoid the conflict, and it looks like she gives herself a moment to regain composure before tackling the threat.”
Mr Stanton added Ms Rudd had shown “genuine concern” for the woman addressing her, and that her face almost said “I can’t believe the situation I’ve been placed in”.
When it came to the audience member's expressions, Mr Stanton says she was "flashing a combination of fear and anger".
"Her eyebrows are sunken down, showing fear and anger. Her face is almost in a grimace."
Mr Stanton's insight comes from analysing the microexpressions that give a small insight into how a person may be feeling.
"These can be flashes of emotion lasting a fifth of a second or a few seconds," he said.
"They give a real insight in to the the person's true emotion. They are unconscious so no matter how well a communicator you are or how well trained you are in media, you cannot not communicate these gestures."
